Moscow Slams Kiev's Deployment of Military Hardware to Donbass

The deployment of Ukrainian military hardware to Donbass will have an impact on the process of peace settlement in eastern Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier this week, the Russian Investigatove Committee said that Kiev has been increasing military presence in Donbass.

"The deployment of military hardware, belonging to or controlled by Kiev – because we are speaking not only about the Ukrainian Armed Forces but also about the so-called volunteer battalions, of course, will affect not only the negotiating process in the international format, but will first of all affect the situation between Donbass and Kiev," Zakharova told reporters.

She added that the international efforts were aimed at promotion of dialogue between Ukraine and Donbass.

The situation in southeastern Ukraine has escalated over the past few weeks, in particular near the town of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region, where clashes between Kiev forces and the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic militia have intensified. The conflicting parties have both accused each other of initiating the violence.

Earlier, Russian envoy to Contact Group on Ukraine Boris Gryzlov stated that an agreement to withdraw heavy weaponry from the contact line in Donbass has been delayed by Kiev.