MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia suspected that Ukraine was planning to attack Russia during the Navy Day parade attended by President Vladimir Putin last month and Moscow contacted Washington about its concerns, Russian state television reported.
Russian television said the details were a state secret and gave no further details. Ukraine’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.
The report quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying that concern over the suspected attack was so great that Defense Secretary Andrei Belousov contacted US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin about the suspicions.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report.
The New York Times reported that Austin had taken a call from Belousov on July 12 about a secret Ukrainian operation planned against Russia that Moscow believed had the blessing of the United States.
The Times quoted two unidentified U.S. officials as saying Pentagon officials were surprised by the Russian allegations and unaware of any such plot.
Nevertheless, Russian concerns were taken seriously enough for Washington to contact Ukraine and warn Kiev that if such an operation was planned, it should not be carried out.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge, Jacqueline Wong and Andrew Heavens)