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Kiev’s decision to hold missile firing drills near Crimea provocation — Russian lawmaker

"We should not give in to provocations. We should react calmly," Vladimir Dzhabarov said

First Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Committee’s International Affairs Committee Vladimir Dzhabarov Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS

First Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Committee’s International Affairs Committee Vladimir Dzhabarov

© Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS

MOSCOW, November 25. /TASS/. Kiev’s decision to hold missile firing drills in the Russian airspace in the Crimea area where civilian aircraft are flying represent a provocation, First Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Committee’s International Affairs Committee Vladimir Dzhabarov told TASS on Friday.

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"This is an obvious provocation. Kiev makes such statements to attract attention, taking into account the deterioration of the domestic political situation and the upcoming change of the US Administration," Dzhabarov said. This statement is an attempt either to provoke Russia by any means or to gain the support of EU and US by saying "save us from Russia," he added. The lawmaker noted that Ukrainian authorities are thus trying to find new allies in the United States and Europe.

"We should not give in to provocations. We should react calmly, but Kiev authorities need to understand at the same time that unleashing a conflict may end very tragically for them," Dzhabarov noted.

Earlier on Friday Russia’s aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia said that Ukraine had made a unilateral decision to conduct missile-firing drills in the Crimea area. According to Rosaviatsia, this would be a violation of international agreements.

Rosaviatsia also said that on November 24, Ukraine had issued an aviation notification on "activating dangerous zones at all flight levels in view of missile firing exercises scheduled for December 1 and 2." The first "dangerous zone" is to be set up on December 1 and 2 from 09:00 to 19:00 Moscow time (6 am to 4 pm GMT) while the second is planned to be activated on December 1 from 12:30 to 14:30 Moscow time (9:30 am to 11:30 am GMT) and on December 2 from 11:00 to 15:00 Moscow time (8 am to 12 pm GMT).

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Foreign policy Crimea and Sevastopol Military drills

Military operation in Ukraine

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