MOSCOW, November 1. /TASS/. Moscow is witnessing attempts by Ukrainian officials to stir up incitement and goad Russia into using force, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Russia-24 TV channel.

"Getting back to Ukraine, to the Normandy Format, yes, there is an obvious exacerbation. Attempts are being observed to whip up a provocative situation, to elicit some response from the militia and goad Russia into some sort of use of force," he said.

The Russian top diplomat also noted the "mysterious story" with the Bayraktar drone in Donbass. "The commander of Ukraine’s armed forces claims that this weapon was used, yet the defense minister says that nothing of the kind had happened," Lavrov pointed out.

"I think, right now they are debating, what is more advantageous for them: to demonstrate their ‘toughness’ that they’ve already begun bombing in flagrant violation of the Minsk Accords or to say that they are still implementing the Minsk Accords and offer to meet in the Normandy Format," the diplomat said.

"We don’t need a meeting for a meeting’s sake," he emphasized.