MOSCOW, February 19. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has slammed Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky for being a "heartless cynic" following his charges the people of Donbass were responsible themselves for provoking bombardments.

"I’d leave emotions aside. Although I find it very hard to do in this particular case," Zakharova wrote in her Telegram channel on Saturday. "Claims to the effect ‘they shoot themselves’ could be made only by a heartless cynic, particularly so if one remembers how many people in the Donetsk and Lugansk republics have been killed over these years."

Zakharova said that the OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission was registering far more bombardments on the side of the Kiev-controlled forces.

"Possibly, this is the reason why Washington has recalled its monitors from the mission so as to ensure there should be no US witnesses, who might accuse their own government of lying," Zakharova said.

Lately, the Western countries and Kiev have been speculating a great deal about the risks of Russia invading Ukraine. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed such allegations as groundless fanning of tensions. He stressed that Russia posed no threat to anyone. Also, he did not rule out the risk of provocations and warned that attempts at handling the crisis in southeastern Ukraine from the position of strength would entail dire effects.

On Friday, Lugansk and Donetsk leaders, Leonid Pasechnik and Denis Pushilin, declared evacuation of civilians to Russia in view of the soaring risk of hostilities. A number of Russian regions have said they are ready to accommodate refugees from Donbass.