Kiev Lacks Courage to Admit Plotting Foiled Sabotage in Crimea

Natalia Poklonskaya, prosecutor general of the Republic of Crimea, said that the Ukrainian leadership had a history of being furtive in their aggressive actions and then distance themselves from the committed acts.

SIMFEROPOL (Sputnik) — The cowardly stance of Ukrainian authorities prevents them from taking responsibility for being authors of the thwarted plot to commit acts of sabotage in Crimea, Natalia Poklonskaya, prosecutor general of the Republic of Crimea, said Saturday.

On Wednesday, Russia's Federal Security Service said that it had eliminated a spy ring organized by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry in Crimea, which was preparing acts of sabotage on "critical and life-supporting elements of the peninsula's infrastructure," An FSB officer died during a shootout that ensued during the raid.

"It all matches the current criminal face of the Ukrainian leadership. They revealed their nature from the very start, when they came to power through a coup d'etat, and now they affirm their cowardly position. They do not even have the courage to admit what they have committed," Poklonskaya said.

The prosecutor added that the Ukrainian leadership had a history of being furtive in their aggressive actions and then distance themselves from the committed acts.

Earlier in the day, Poklonskaya said that all suspects into the attempted acts of sabotage would be taken into custody, but refused to specify the number of suspects due to the investigation secrecy.

Crimea became part of Russia after almost 97 percent of those who voted in a local referendum on the issue in 2014 supported the move.