MOSCOW, July 31. /TASS/. Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov "sent a very serious warning" to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin about the danger of an uncontrollable escalation due to the actions of Kiev and Washington during their conversation on July 12, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told TASS.

"All contacts with American representatives at the above-intermediate level, in state and political terms, have purely utilitarian goals. The recent contact of the ministers of defense was no exception," the deputy foreign minister said, commenting on the conversation.

"A very serious warning was sent by the Russian side regarding new provocations from Kiev, which are inconceivable without Washington’s direct assistance," Ryabkov said. "This warning was made in order to avoid further dangerous escalation, which may cause consequences that may become totally uncontrollable."

Belousov and Austin had a phone call on July 12. The New York Times late claimed that the two ministers discussed Ukraine’s upcoming "clandestine operation" against Russia. US officials told the newspaper that Russia allegedly intended to find out if the United States are involved in Kiev’s plans. The sources pointed out that the Pentagon was unaware about the Ukrainian operation, but perceived Moscow’s warning "so seriously that it contacted Kiev and urged it not to carry out the operation, if such plans indeed took place.".