MOSCOW, February 16. /TASS/. Members of Russia’s National Guard have found documents in the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) which prove the US was involved in the destabilization of eastern Ukraine, the National Guard said in a statement on Thursday.

"The National Guard’s commandos found evidence of systematic efforts by the United States’ destructive international agencies aimed at destabilizing the political situation in eastern Ukraine from 2014-2022. In particular, we are talking about the US Agency for International Development (USAID)," the statement reads.

According to the National Guard, the documents contain detailed instructions for activities aimed at discrediting Russia in the eyes of the local population. "These activities included the spreading of various printed publications that distorted the facts about what is happening in Ukraine and deliberately portrayed Russia as the aggressor country. Heads of local administrations operated based on manuals and guides edited by members of the US Agency for International Development and sponsored by the organization," the statement said.

"When working with the youth, the LGBT community’s values were promoted under the guise of ideas of gender equality. USAID’s activities in the LPR were also confirmed by the regional administration. Most of the manuals that have been discovered clearly indicate attempts to incite ethnic discord and hatred against Russia," the National Guard noted.

The US government established the US Agency for International Development (USAID) on the initiative of President John F. Kennedy in 1961. The agency officially claims to provide emergency humanitarian assistance and facilitate efforts to prevent conflicts in more than 100 countries around the world. In 2019, USAID launched an anti-Russian program dubbed the Countering Malign Kremlin Influence Development Framework. The program is officially said to allocate funds to counter disinformation in the media space and assist Russia’s neighbors in reducing their energy and economic dependence. However, the program is actually aimed at fighting against Russian media outlets targeting foreign audiences.