Russia Denies It Has Plans to Invade Ukraine After US Media Reports

Russia views US military activity in the Black Sea as a threat to the region

On Friday, Russia denied that it had any plans to attack Ukraine after reports in US media said Washington believed Moscow was plotting an invasion. Russia also said that US military activity in the Black Sea is a “threat to regional security.”

Citing anonymous sources, Bloomberg reported Thursday that the US briefed European allies on the threat of a Russian invasion but provided no information on how the US reached the assessment. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the US reports were a “hollow and unfounded attempt to incite tensions.”

“Russia doesn’t threaten anyone,” Peskov said. “The movement of troops on our territory shouldn’t be a cause for anyone’s concern.”

The US and Ukraine have been hyping up the presence of Russian troops inside Russia near the border with Ukraine. Russia has pointed to the increase in US and NATO military activity in the Black Sea as a reason to have more military forces in the region.

“We view the US aggressive military activity in the Black Sea region as a threat to regional security and strategic stability,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement, according to Tass. “The intensity of NATO air reconnaissance near the borders of the Russian Federation in the Black Sea continues growing.”

Last week, the US deployed two warships to the Black Sea to train alongside NATO allies. On Thursday, Russia said it scrambled a fighter jet to intercept a British spy plane near Crimea.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.