VIENNA, June 3. /TASS/. Moscow calls on the Special Monitoring Mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE SMM) to closely monitor all aspects related to NATO’s Sea Breeze 2021 exercise that involves Ukraine, Russian Permanent Representative to the OSCE Alexander Lukashevich said at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on Thursday.

Lukashenko pointed out that, according to available information, "there are plans to deliver advanced weapons and ammunition to Ukraine under the guise of the drills." The weapons may later be handed over to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and nationalist paramilitary groups deployed near the line of contact in Donbass, like it has happened before, Lukashevich added.

"We would like to point out that attempts to militarize Ukraine and flood the country with weapons won’t help establish peace in Donbass but on the contrary, it will encourage hotheads in Kiev to step up military activities in the country’s east. We call on the SMM to closely monitor all aspects related to this exercise," the Russian envoy said.

On June 2, the Russian Defense Ministry said that advanced weapons would be delivered to Ukraine under the guise of the Sea Breeze 2021 exercise scheduled to take place between June 28 and July 10.