Moscow records cases of US interference in Russian internal affairs
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson calls on OSCE to Investigate cooperation between observers and Ukrainian soldiers and warns against any calls for Ukraine to attack Russian targets.
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Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
The Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova revealed that Moscow documented examples of involvement by US authorities in Russian internal matters related to the crisis in Ukraine, including through the use of the internet.
The diplomat said that Moscow took note of a material posted on the US Department of State's website on April 21 about the special military operation and that the article encouraged US citizens to join the anti-Russian propaganda campaign by using Western information and communication technology tools.
"In essence ... this is the use of personal means of communication, ordinary Americans to spread lies, propaganda and fakes ... Of course, we strongly condemn the actions of the US authorities aimed at direct interference in the private lives of Russian citizens," Zakharova told reporters.
Furthermore, the diplomat stated that Ukraine, with the backing of the US, has begun planning large-scale cyber provocations against Russia.
"It will not be possible to pass this off as cybercrimes committed from the Russian territory, by citizens of our country, preparations have now begun for a large-scale provocation in the cyber environment by the Kiev regime, the United States, the collective West, NATO structures, EU structures, we are fixing this," Zakharova said.
Moscow can not rule out the possibility that the contentious Myrotvorets website was built with the cooperation of the US State Department.
Myrotvorets publishes personal information on Russian and Ukrainian people, international journalists, and members of international organizations it views to be opponents of Ukraine or working against the country's interests.
Ukraine attacks could lead to a "harsh response"
Moreover, the further calls for Ukraine to strike Russian targets will result in a "harsh response" from Moscow, according to Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Thursday.
"I would like Kiev and Western capitals to take seriously the statements of the Ministry of Defense of our country that further provocation of Ukraine to strike Russian targets will necessarily lead to a harsh response from Russia ... We do not recommend further testing our patience," Zakharova told a briefing.
Concerns over escalation in breakaway Transnistria
Russia is concerned about the increase of hostilities in Transnistria, an unrecognized republic, and considers the actions in the territory to be acts of terrorism, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.
"We are alarmed by the escalation of tension in Transnistria, where in recent days, there have been several incidents with shelling, explosions of social and infrastructure facilities. We regard these actions as acts of terrorism aimed at destabilizing the situation in the region and expect a thorough and objective investigation of all the circumstances of the incident," Zakharova told a briefing.
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The diplomat noted that Russia condemns any attempts to involve Transnistria in the Ukrainian conflict, including "sensational statements about the training of Russian peacekeepers, the Tiraspol airfield, Transnistrian conscripts for some offensive actions."
"We fix it all. But all these statements do not cast doubt on the fact that the situation on the left bank of the Dnister River, including in the security zone, is reliably controlled by the joint peacekeeping forces," she added.
OSCE to investigate cooperation between observers, Ukrainian soldiers
Russia has asked the Organization for Security and Coordination in Europe (OSCE) to investigate several examples of cooperation between its observers and the Ukrainian military, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
"We call on the leadership of the organization to take the necessary measures to correct the situation, in particular, to investigate how and on whose instructions the data from the technical means of the SMM were transferred to the Ukrainian side," Zakharova told a briefing.
UN Human Rights commissioner's statements on Ukraine far from impartiality
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet's statements on the situation in Ukraine is biased and politicized, according to Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Thursday.
"The statements of the chief UN human rights official are far from the standards of objectivity and impartiality that the UN secretariat and all employees of the world organization, especially at such a high level, should follow directly," Zakharova told a briefing.
The Russian diplomat went on to say that Moscow is ready to work closely with the UN High Commissioner on the situation in Ukraine.
Russia condemns Israeli aggression on Syria
In her statement, Zakharova mentioned that Russia strongly condemns Israeli missile strikes at Damascus suburbs.
"According to reports, on the night of April 27, the Israeli air force launched a missile attack on targets ... near Damascus … We strongly condemn such irresponsible actions," Zakharova told a briefing.
