Russia: Kiev plans staged attack to accuse Moscow of 'war crimes'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
5 Feb 19:46
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The JCHHR says Ukraine's provocation in Kramatorsk also aims to harness more advanced western weapons.

An aerial view of Kramatorsk, Ukraine (AP)

Russia's Joint Coordination Headquarters for Humanitarian Response in Ukraine (JCHHR) said on Sunday that Kiev is planning a provocation in Kramatorsk in order to pressure its western allies to send more advanced military weapons and fighter vehicles to the Ukrainian army.

"Amid the military failures of the Ukrainian army, the Kiev authorities are seeking to use such provocation to augment the pressure on public opinion in Western countries to make them expand the range of advanced weapons and combat vehicles supplied to the Ukrainian army," said the JCHHR in a statement.

Last month, Germany committed to sending 14 Leopard 2A6 tanks to Ukraine after being repeatedly pushed to do so by some of its EU and NATO allies, while the United States said it would send Ukraine 31 Abrams tanks and eight M88 recovery vehicles, noting that the delivery would take considerable time.

Moreover, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced in January that the country would send 14 of its Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine and France announced that its AMX-10 RC tanks are expected to be delivered to Ukraine within two months.

The headquarters added that the Ukrainian plot targeting the city aims to accuse Moscow of committing "war crimes", noting that independent sources informed them that Ukrainian special services (SBU) are preparing to carry out the provocation.

"For these ends, the Kiev regime plans to undermine the buildings of the Kramatorsk drug rehab and cancer clinics (Alexey Tikhy Street, 31) and the first city hospital (Alexey Tikhy Street, 17) to accuse Russia of delivering an allegedly ‘targeted strike’ on civilian facilities," the JCHHR said, adding that Western journalists have already settled in the city's Sapfir hotel and are accompanied by servicemen from the SBU.

"Personnel have been evacuated from these medical establishments and have been switched to a remote work mode."

Earlier in January, the joint coordination headquarters announced that SBU sought to obstruct the grain chain supply by planning a false flag attack at a grain storage facility in the Kharkov region.

The JCHHR explained then that the purpose of the attack would be to discredit Russia and create grounds for accusing the Federation of creating food shortages in Ukraine.

The HQ further announced that Western media will adopt this narrative and further demonize Russia with headlines that will note "yet another atrocity of the Russian troops," urging for a "tough response from the world community."

As such, another purpose of the Kharkov provocation, Russia considered, would be to create an opportunity and a reason to push Western countries to continue to fund the war in Ukraine by securing more supplies for Kiev.