Russian jets violated Ukraine airspace: Yatsenyuk
Iran Press TV
Sat Apr 26, 2014 3:16PM GMT
Acting Ukrainian prime minister says Russian jets have repeatedly violated the country's airspace.
'Russian military aircraft today at night crossed and violated Ukrainian airspace seven times," Arseniy Yatsenyuk told reporters in the Italian capital, Rome, on Saturday.
He also alleged that Moscow's actions in the region are intended to provoke Ukraine and to accuse the former Soviet state of "waging war against Russia."
But Ukraine's acting Defense Minister Myhailo Koval has dismissed the premier's claims, saying Russian jets have only approached the border.
Russia's Defense Ministry has also said that its military aircraft have not breached any state borders, including those belonging to Ukraine.
"Russia's means of objective airspace situation control did not record any violations of air boundaries of the states adjacent to Russia, including those of Ukraine," the ministry said in a statement released on Saturday.
Tensions between Western powers and Moscow heightened after Crimea declared independence from Ukraine and formally applied to become part of Russia following a referendum on March 16, in which almost 97 percent of the participants voted for rejoining the Russian Federation, with a turnout of over 83 percent.
On April 17, Ukraine's interim government together with the United States, Russia and the European Union reached an agreement in the Swiss city of Geneva, calling for all sides to ease the ongoing crisis in eastern Ukraine, where anti-Kiev protesters keep occupying state buildings in several towns and cities.
On April 22, however, the Kiev government ordered a re-launch of its controversial "anti-terrorist operations" in eastern Ukraine in a bid to root out the pro-Russian demonstrations. In response, Moscow launched military drills near the Ukrainian border on April 24.
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