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Foreign weapon supplies to Kiev must not add fuel to the fire, Russian diplomat cautions

Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko said on Saturday that he had signed an agreement on the purchase of 12 Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones for the Ukrainian army
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova
© Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS

MOSCOW, January 13. /TASS/. Supplies of foreign-made weapons to Ukraine must not lead to the aggravation of the ongoing crisis in that country, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Sunday.

"The problem is that Ukraine is living through a domestic armed crisis, a civil war, as a matter of fact," she said in an interview with the Kommersant newspaper. "This internal crisis has an international aspect as well, as a number of countries and international organizations are acting as mediators in the settling efforts. These nations and organizations have unequivocally said that they stand for exclusively peaceful settlement."

"Hence, supplies of weapons to the Kiev regime must not become a factor that could add to the aggravation of Ukraine’s internal crisis," she said commenting on Kiev’s purchase of Turkish Bayraktar TB2 assault drones.

Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko said on Saturday that he had signed an agreement on the purchase of 12 Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones for the Ukrainian army.

The Bayraktar TB2 is a medium-altitude and long-range tactical aerial vehicle. It is equipped with Turkish software and electronic devices. Its maximum takeoff weight is 650 kilograms.