In accordance with the official web-site of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, on May 21 – 25, 2014 the military exercise “Aviadarts-2014” of the Russian Air Force will be held in the vicinity of the cities of Lipetsk, Voronezh and Ryazan. Referring to sources in the Russian defense ministry, a number of news agencies have reported that the exercise training will include "the combat use of missiles, bombs and artillery ammunition for the elimination of ground targets, as well as air defense penetration of the imaginary enemy."

The plans of the Russian Federation cause deep concern in Ukraine. Taking into account the scenario of  “Aviadarts-2014”, the military assets involved, as well as the battle use of modern armaments close to the Ukrainian border by the very nation that has already committed an act of aggression against Ukraine and illegally annexed an integral part of our territory, we consider these actions by Russia as still another provocation by force, an undisguised attempt to increase tension on the borders with Ukraine and in the region as a whole.

Russia conducting military exercises near the Ukrainian border on Ukraine's presidential election day testifies to the realization of the continuous efforts by Russia to further destabilize the situation in, inter alia, the Eastern regions of Ukraine, as well as to the brutal pressure being put on the Ukrainian people.

We categorically demand from the Russian Federation to cease the  practice of provoking instability, to withdraw formations of the Russian Armed Forces from Ukraine’s border and to fulfill the obligations it undertook in accordance with the Geneva Ukraine Accord.