Ukraine’s prime minister has said Russia is “absolutely” behind a suspected attempt to topple Kiev’s pro-Western government, citing intelligence pointing to Moscow’s involvement in the potential coup.
“We have secret data which demonstrates the special intentions (to foment a coup),” Prime Minister Denys Shmygal told Reuters on Tuesday.
When asked if the Russian state was behind it, the PM answered: “Absolutely.”
Shmygal also said Russia’s buildup of troops and equipment on Ukraine’s eastern border shows that “they are preparing something.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned last week that authorities had uncovered a plot to overthrow his government.
“I received information that a coup d’etat will take place in our country on Dec. 1-2,” said Zelensky, who went on to blast Russia for sending “very dangerous” signals with the military operations along the border.
“There is a threat today that there will be war tomorrow,” the president added. “We are entirely prepared for an escalation. We need to depend on ourselves, on our army — it is powerful.”
The Kremlin has rejected claims that it is behind a possible overthrow attempt.
“Russia had no plans to get involved,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “Russia never does such things at all.”
Shmygal, who is attending talks with European Union officials in Brussels, claimed intelligence outfits picked up activities by “outside powers” attempting to stir up political opposition inside Ukraine with the aim to force Zelensky from office.
“In Ukrainian society, there is no revolutionary mood,” he said. “We understand there was influence from outside to enforce protests in Kiev, to make them stronger. Our secret service is making a special investigation.”
Shmygal added that Moscow’s opposition to Ukraine joining the EU has led to the military buildup at the border and the illegal annexation by Russia of Crimea in 2014. Nearly eight years of fighting between Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed insurgents has led to the deaths of more than 13,000 soldiers and civilians.
“This is one of the main reasons for the hybrid attacks from the Russian side, because we strongly would like to be integrated into Europe, to have the standard of living of European, of civilized countries,” he said. “That is why we have all these hybrid attacks, cyber attacks, physical military attacks, occupied territories, disinformation to hamper Ukraine’s European aspirations.”
Zelensky, a former comedian and political novice, pulled off a landslide election victory in 2019 over incumbent President Petro Poroshenko.