Russian intelligence accuses U.S. of provoking escalation in Donbas
In response to reports about the possibility of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service accused the United States of "provoking the escalation in the East of Ukraine."
"Washington officials are actively scaring the world community with Russia's alleged preparations for aggression against Ukraine." Russian intelligence quoted the statement of the Minister of Propaganda of Hitler's Germany, Joseph Goebbels, that “the crowd willingly believes the lies”.
"We are much more concerned that such aggressive propaganda inspires the Kyiv regime to build up its military group in the Donbas," said the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service.
The Russian Foreign Intelligence officials repeated the words of Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov that "the United States and its allies continue “to fill up Ukraine with weapons" and said that a similar situation was observed in Georgia in 2008, before Russia began the military operation in South Ossetia.
On November 21, the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Kirill Budanov, said that Russia had amassed about 92,000 troops near Ukrainian borders and was preparing a new offensive in January-February. According to Ukrainian intelligence, the attack could include airstrikes, artillery and armored attacks, followed by airborne attacks in the east, amphibious attacks in Odesa and Mariupol, and a smaller invasion through neighboring Belarus.
In response, The Kremlin said that the statements about the preparation of the Russian invasion are a tcoverup for "Ukraine’s aggressive plans."
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Ukraine is not planning an offensive military operation in the Donbas and is committed to finding a political and diplomatic solution to the conflict.