MOSCOW, November 30. /TASS/. Ukraine’s state system has disintegrated and it is just scary to talk about tit-for-tat responses in this situation, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a Friday briefing, when asked if Moscow would take tit-for-tat measures in response to Kiev’s decision to ban Russian men aged 16 to 60 from entering Ukraine.
"As far as Ukraine is concerned - not the state itself, but mostly Pyotr Poroshenko, who is currently ruling the country - it is just horrifying to talk about tit-for-tat responses," Zakharova said. "The reason is that if someone tries to take a tit-for-tat step to respond to what is going on in Kiev, it may lead to madness, and if we speak about the nationwide level, then to a complete collapse. The stunts we have seen performed in Ukraine point to the state system’s disintegration. It is a result of the wild but not ill-conceived moves made by the country’s authorities," she added.
Ukrainian State Border Service Head Pyotr Tsigikal said earlier that security measures would be tightened at crossing points. "The entry of foreigners, first and foremost, Russian nationals, has been restricted. Russian men aged 16 to 60 have been barred from entering the country," he said at a meeting dedicated to ensuring the country’s defense capability in the situation of martial law, which also involved Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko.
Russia will continue to protecting Ukrainian diplomatic facilities in the country, she said.
"Moscow will certainly do everything to abide by conventions on diplomatic relations and protect Ukraine’s diplomatic facilities in our country," she said. At the same time, Zakharova pointed out that "patience has its limits."
Kerch Strait incident
On November 25, three Ukrainian navy ships illegally crossed Russia’s border and tried to carry out some illegal actions in Russian territorial waters later in the day. They ignored legitimate demands to stop issued by vessels belonging to the FSB Border Service and the Black Sea Fleet and continued maneuvering dangerously. In order to stop the Ukrainian ships, weapons had to be used. The three vessels were detained in Russian territorial waters. Three Ukrainian military servicemen suffered light wounds and were provided with medical assistance. A criminal investigation has been opened into the border incident.
Following Kiev’s provocation in the Kerch Strait, Ukrainian extremists carried out violent demonstrations in front of Russia’s diplomatic missions. They threw flares at the Russian embassy in the Ukrainian capital and burned tires in front of the consulate general in Lvov. In Kharkov, a group of extremists threw flares and eggs at the Russian consulate general. Russia’s Investigative Committee opened criminal investigations into the attacks on the Russian embassy in Kiev and the consulate general in Kharkov.