MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia suspected Ukraine of planning to attack Russia during the Navy Day parade, which was attended by President Vladimir Putin last month and Moscow contacted Washington about its concerns, Russian state television reported.
Russian television said the details were a state secret and did not provide further details. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.
The report quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying that concerns were so great about the alleged attack that Defense Minister Andrei Belousov contacted US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin about the suspicions.
Reuters was unable to immediately verify the report.
The New York Times reported that Austin received a call from Belousov on July 12 about a planned Ukrainian covert operation against Russia that Moscow believed had the blessing of the United States.
The Times cited two unnamed U.S. officials who said Pentagon officials were surprised by the Russian allegation and were unaware of any such conspiracy.
Still, Russian concerns were taken seriously enough for Washington to contact Ukraine and warn Kiev that if it was planning such an operation, it should not carry it out.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge, Jacqueline Wong and Andrew Heavens)
