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Crimea’s PM: US State Department Is Behind Terror Attacks In Crimea

REUTERS/Michael Klimentyev/Sputnik/Kremlin.

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Jonah Bennett Contributor
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The prime minister of Crimea has accused the State Department of backing an attempt by the Ukrainian government to launch a terror attack in the peninsula.

Sergey Aksyonov delivered his remarks Thursday in an interview with Rossiya-24, the TASS Russian news agency reports.

“You see, upon which path they [the Ukrainian authorities] have embarked — the path of terror,” Aksyonov said. “That is, they have decided to transfer abroad the method they have tested against their own citizens. But at the same time I’m confident that these are not their own actions and intentions — the US Department of State is behind them because Ukrainian officials wouldn’t have had the courage to hold such actions.”

Following the attacks that took place over the weekend, Russia blamed the violence on Ukrainian authorities, specifically the intelligence department of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, prompting Russian President Vladimir Putin to order a renewed military presence in Crimea until the security situation deescalates.

“This is a very dangerous game,” Putin said. “We will of course do everything to assure the security of infrastructure, citizens and will take additional measures to provide security, including serious additional measures.”

Putin also added the attacks may be an attempt by Ukrainian authorities to draw attention away from their own economic malaise. The attack, apparently aimed at critical infrastructure, killed two Russians: one FSB office and later a servicemember.

Tensions haven’t been this high since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. While Ukraine has refused to acknowledge a loss of its official territory, Ukrainian authorities have admitted they are unable to take back Crimea with military force.

But Ukrainian authorities have also denied they were involved in any way in the plot. President Petro Poroshenko called the Russian allegations a “fantasy.”

Geoffrey Pyatt, U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, said the U.S. hasn’t seen any evidence to support Ukrainian involvement and added that sanctions on Russia would remain until Crimea is returned by to Ukraine.

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