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| Putin Accuses Ukraine of Plotting Terrorist Attacks in Crimea | Putin Accuses Ukraine of Plotting Terrorist Attacks in Crimea |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| MOSCOW — President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia accused the Ukrainian government on Wednesday of plotting terrorist attacks in Crimea, and threatened to respond. His Ukrainian counterpart called the accusations “fantasies.” | |
| Mr. Putin, speaking at the Kremlin, said two Russian servicemen had been killed while confronting people he described as the plotters. | |
| “There is no doubt that we will not let these things pass,” Mr. Putin said in remarks broadcast on state television. | “There is no doubt that we will not let these things pass,” Mr. Putin said in remarks broadcast on state television. |
| “But I would like to turn to our American and European partners,” he said. “I think it is clear now that today’s Kiev government is not looking for ways to solve problems by negotiations, but is resorting to terror. This is a very worrying thing.” | “But I would like to turn to our American and European partners,” he said. “I think it is clear now that today’s Kiev government is not looking for ways to solve problems by negotiations, but is resorting to terror. This is a very worrying thing.” |
| The Russian president accused the Ukrainian intelligence services of trying to stage attacks in Crimea to distract attention from their country’s economic problems. | |
| “The attempt to provoke violence, to provoke conflict is nothing else but the desire to divert public opinion from the people who captured power in Kiev, continue keeping it, and continue robbing its own people,” Mr. Putin said. “This is a very dangerous game.” | |
| In denying Mr. Putin’s accusations, President Petro O. Poroshenko of Ukraine and his subordinates said they did not want to forcibly reclaim the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed in March 2014. | |
| “These fantasies are just a pretext for another portion of military threats against Ukraine,” Mr. Poroshenko said in a statement. | |
| “It is Russia who has been generously funding and supporting terrorism in the territory of Ukraine for a long time and raising it to the level of its state policy,” he said. | |
| Tensions have been high recently in eastern Ukraine, as the 18-month cease-fire between government forces and Russian-backed insurgents has seriously eroded. | Tensions have been high recently in eastern Ukraine, as the 18-month cease-fire between government forces and Russian-backed insurgents has seriously eroded. |
| Although the Kremlin has repeatedly accused Ukraine of not putting the cease-fire into effect, it was not immediately clear why Mr. Putin had ramped up his message. | Although the Kremlin has repeatedly accused Ukraine of not putting the cease-fire into effect, it was not immediately clear why Mr. Putin had ramped up his message. |
| The deployment of Russia’s military to seize Crimea, as well as Moscow’s support for the insurgents in the east, led Western countries to impose economic sanctions on Russia. Given its economic problems, Moscow has been trying to distance itself from the fighting in Ukraine in hopes the sanctions will be lifted. | The deployment of Russia’s military to seize Crimea, as well as Moscow’s support for the insurgents in the east, led Western countries to impose economic sanctions on Russia. Given its economic problems, Moscow has been trying to distance itself from the fighting in Ukraine in hopes the sanctions will be lifted. |
| Even so, Mr. Putin has kept Russia embroiled in foreign conflicts, not only with Ukraine but also, more openly, in Syria. | Even so, Mr. Putin has kept Russia embroiled in foreign conflicts, not only with Ukraine but also, more openly, in Syria. |
| Earlier on Wednesday, the Federal Security Service announced that one of its agents and a Russian soldier had been killed recently in clashes with what it described as Ukrainian forces in Crimea who were planning to carry out terrorist acts there. | Earlier on Wednesday, the Federal Security Service announced that one of its agents and a Russian soldier had been killed recently in clashes with what it described as Ukrainian forces in Crimea who were planning to carry out terrorist acts there. |
| A group of Ukrainian saboteurs was discovered over the weekend in the Crimean town of Armyansk, near the disputed border with Ukraine, the security agency, known as the F.S.B., said in a statement on its website. | A group of Ukrainian saboteurs was discovered over the weekend in the Crimean town of Armyansk, near the disputed border with Ukraine, the security agency, known as the F.S.B., said in a statement on its website. |
| Homemade explosives, mines, munitions and other weapons used by Ukraine’s military were discovered in the area, the statement said. | Homemade explosives, mines, munitions and other weapons used by Ukraine’s military were discovered in the area, the statement said. |
| In another episode, the statement said, armed members of Ukraine’s special forces made two attempts to penetrate Crimea on Monday morning, helped by “massive shelling” from the Ukrainian territory. | |
| Residents had reported unusual activity in that area of Crimea recently, including armed checkpoints. | Residents had reported unusual activity in that area of Crimea recently, including armed checkpoints. |
| The statement from the F.S.B., the successor agency to the Soviet-era K.G.B., said that a Ukrainian spy network had been dismantled and that several Russian and Ukrainian citizens had been arrested. One was identified as Yevgeny A. Panov, an employee of Ukraine’s military intelligence service. | The statement from the F.S.B., the successor agency to the Soviet-era K.G.B., said that a Ukrainian spy network had been dismantled and that several Russian and Ukrainian citizens had been arrested. One was identified as Yevgeny A. Panov, an employee of Ukraine’s military intelligence service. |
| “The aim of terrorist acts and subversive actions was to destabilize the sociopolitical situation in the region ahead of federal and regional elections,” the security agency said in the statement. | “The aim of terrorist acts and subversive actions was to destabilize the sociopolitical situation in the region ahead of federal and regional elections,” the security agency said in the statement. |
| Mr. Panov’s friends said he had been missing for three days, according to Vesti-ukr.com, a Ukrainian news website. They said Mr. Panov had been serving in Ukraine’s east in an intelligence unit, but they expressed dismay over Russia’s accusations, the website said. | |
| Ukrainian officials said they had no interest in trying to foment violence in Crimea. | Ukrainian officials said they had no interest in trying to foment violence in Crimea. |
| “Ukrainian citizens live in Crimea, and we cannot and have no right to inflict pain on anybody,” Yuri Tandit, an adviser to the head of Ukraine’s security service, was quoted saying by the Interfax news agency. | “Ukrainian citizens live in Crimea, and we cannot and have no right to inflict pain on anybody,” Yuri Tandit, an adviser to the head of Ukraine’s security service, was quoted saying by the Interfax news agency. |
| Russia’s state-owned Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper reported that the alleged plotters were planning to blow up the Simferopol-Yalta highway that runs from the regional capital to resorts on the Black Sea. | |
| Video footage of the F.S.B. operation, broadcast on Russia’s state television, showed a backpack, full of explosives, as well as multiple wires, scattered on the ground. | |
| Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s permanent representative to the Council of Europe, said on Twitter that Russia was seeking a pretext to war with Ukraine. | |
| “Putin wants more war. Russia escalates, desperately looks for casus belli against Ukraine, tests West’s reaction,” Mr. Kuleba said. | |
| In a separate statement, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said the F.S.B. was trying to divert attention from what the ministry described as the redeployment of Russian military forces on the peninsula. | In a separate statement, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said the F.S.B. was trying to divert attention from what the ministry described as the redeployment of Russian military forces on the peninsula. |
| Russia closed checkpoints at the Ukrainian border with Crimea over the weekend, leading to speculation that Russia was concentrating heavy weaponry there. Internet providers said they had blocked web access in northern Crimea at the request of government officials. | Russia closed checkpoints at the Ukrainian border with Crimea over the weekend, leading to speculation that Russia was concentrating heavy weaponry there. Internet providers said they had blocked web access in northern Crimea at the request of government officials. |
| In recent weeks, international monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe have reported increased tensions in Ukraine’s east, where pro-Russian separatists have been fighting the Ukrainian Army. | In recent weeks, international monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe have reported increased tensions in Ukraine’s east, where pro-Russian separatists have been fighting the Ukrainian Army. |
| More than 9,500 people have been killed since April 2014 in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement last week. | More than 9,500 people have been killed since April 2014 in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement last week. |
| The latest cease-fire, brokered by Mr. Putin with leaders of Ukraine, Germany and France, came into effect in February 2015. Each side has accused the other of multiple violations. | The latest cease-fire, brokered by Mr. Putin with leaders of Ukraine, Germany and France, came into effect in February 2015. Each side has accused the other of multiple violations. |