Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expresses its strong protest and sent a note today to the Russian Foreign Ministry regarding the new flagrant provocations on the Ukrainian-Russian border.

On 12 July a mortar attack from the area of Kuybysheve (Rostov Region, Russian Federation) took place against the Ukrainian checkpoint "Marinivka". In addition, there were several violations of Ukraine’s airspace by unmanned aircrafts that flew from Russia yesterday.

Despite repeated requests from the Ukrainian side, the Russian Border Service does not take any steps to prevent numerous violations of the state border of Ukraine by illegal armed individuals and military equipment from Russia.

The Russian side cynically keeps unnoticed an undeniable fact that violent activities of terrorists, supported by Russia, bring more and more casualties among the Ukrainian soldiers and civilians in the east of Ukraine. Instead, in a recent letter to the State Border Service of Ukraine Russian border guards drew attention to the death of pets as a result of the alleged artillery shell explosion on the territory of Russia, 500 metres away from the Ukrainian-Russian border.

The Ukrainian side strongly demands that the Russian authorities must stop such provocations on the border, as well as all kinds of support, which Russia keeps providing for terrorist armed groups in the eastern regions of Ukraine.

We expect the international community to give an impartial assessment of the actions of the Russian side that lead to further deterioration of the situation in eastern Ukraine, and will increase its pressure on the Kremlin to make him stop implementing its violent plans for Ukraine.