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Crimean leader blames the US for terrorist attempts in Crimea

The Crimean head says the Ukrainian officials "wouldn’t have had the courage to hold such actions"

MOSCOW, August 11. /TASS/. The US Department of State is behind the Ukrainian authorities’ attempts to carry out terrorist acts in Crimea, Crimean Head Sergei Aksyonov said in an interview with Rossiya-24 TV Channel on Thursday.

"You see, upon which path they [the Ukrainian authorities] have embarked - the path of terror. That is, they have decided to transfer abroad the method they have tested against their own citizens. But at the same time I’m confident that these are not their own actions and intentions - the US Department of State is behind them because Ukrainian officials wouldn’t have had the courage to hold such actions," the Crimean head said.

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) reported on August 10 that it had prevented terrorist acts in Crimea that had been prepared by the Main Intelligence Department of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.

One FSB officer was killed during the operation to detain the terrorists. Later a serviceman of Russia’s Defense Ministry was killed as the saboteurs made a second attempt of intrusion. The terrorist attacks were designed to target critical infrastructure and life support facilities of Crimea.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia would do everything to ensure the security of citizens and infrastructure in Crimea. The Russian president called as silly and criminal the attempt by Ukrainian special services to carry out a subversive act in Crimea. He said their attempt was aimed at distracting attention from internal Ukrainian problems.