You're reading: Poroshenko: Russia is responsible for Mariupol killings

Ukraine has convincing evidence that Russia is behind the Jan. 24 shelling in Mariupol that killed 30 people, President Petro Poroshenko said during the Jan. 25 meeting of the National Security and Defense Council.

“Interception of radio
and phone conversations provided by the State Security Service proves that the
attack was conducted by the terrorists who are, unfortunately, supported by the
Russian Federation,” Poroshenko said. 

Russia’s decision to block the
statement by the United Nations Security Council is more evidence. 

The Kremlin planned to launch a
massive offensive on Ukrainian forces yet on Jan. 17, but the Ukrainian army blocked
its advances, according to him. Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak added the offensive was planned in three directions, but now the Kremlin fights do not have any
opportunity for further attack. 

Poroshenko said the Security
Service of Ukraine arrested a combatant who was targeting the terrorists’ shelling and who is being interrogated. Moreover, the Ukrainian army killed as many as 700
terrorists and destroyed eight Grad rocket launchers recently. 

The Ukrainian leader said he’s
very much concerned by the terrorists’ statements on their withdrawal from the tripartite
negotiations in Minsk, Belarus. If they would follow the Minsk agreements, Volnovakha
and Mariupol tragedies would not happen, he commented. 

“According to the Minsk
accords, area between Olenivka and Starobeshevo villages, that also includes
Dokuchaivsk, has to be under control of the Ukrainian army,” Poroshenko
emphasized. “Thus, missiles couldn’t have hit the bus in Volonovakha…. No
one would suffer of deadly attacks.” 

“We are coordinating our
actions with our foreign partners,” the president added. Conversations with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, head of the European Council Donald Tusk, the European
Union’s top diplomat Federica Mogherini and French President Francois Hollande are
a part of Ukrane’s foreign policy efforts to stop Russia. 

Here’s the link to Poroshenko’s statement

Kyiv Post website editor Helen Mukhina can be reached
at [email protected].