(Reuters) – Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry on Friday dismissed an allegation by a Russian official that Kyiv was planning to stage attacks on the country’s own power dams in order to blame Russia for the assault, describing the statement as a new intimidation tactic.
“The real purpose of such statements by Moscow is to intimidate Ukrainian society and mislead the international community and the media,” the ministry statement said.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, in comments reported by the Tass news agency, had earlier said Ukraine was plotting to destroy two dams in “yet another cynical provocation against Russia.”
(Reporting by Ron Popeski; Editing by Chris Reese)
