MOSCOW, February 7. /TASS/. The abundance of publications in the Western mass media about Russia’s alleged plans of aggression against Ukraine may mean that Western nations are hatching an actual provocation, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Monday.
"It obviously means that a provocation is being plotted. The abundance and quality of these publications, their pre-fabricated nature, and absolute untruthfulness and categoricalness may indicate that some provocative actions are being planned," she said in an interview with Russia’s TV Channel One.
She noted that not a single article can be published in the Western printed media and not a single video can be aired on TV without being reviewed by the editorial desk. "This hysteria has been going on for two months. I would say more - obviously, there are plans and drafts for this scenario," she pointed out.
According to Zakharova, Bloomberg’s "false start," when it reported that Russia has allegedly invaded Ukraine, means that all the scenarios are on the table. "The matter is when to press this ‘info button.’ And it means that the corresponding materials are ready for any occasion, regardless of the reality," she added.
Earlier, Bloomberg released a headline, "Russia Invades Ukraine," but later it said it was a publishing error and removed the headline. "We prepare headlines for many scenarios and the headline "Russia Invades Ukraine" was inadvertently published around 4 p.m. ET today on our website," Bloomberg said in a statement, adding that it is investigating the case.
Recently, Western and Ukrainian media outlets have been echoing claims about possible Russian aggression against Ukraine. The Russian side has repeatedly denied these allegations.