Russia Has 48 Hours to Explain its Military Activities – Ukrainian Foreign Minister

Russia has 48 hours to provide a detailed explanation on the objectives, precise location, and dates of completion of its military activities, as well as designation, subordination, number, and types of formations, as well as types of equipment involved, noted the official.

"In case of absence of reply or its insufficiency/irrelevance, Ukraine will address Russia, as well as other participating states of the Vienna Document, in order to convene an extraordinary meeting where Russia will have to provide explanations," written in the Tweet.

The "Vienna Document on confidence- and security-building measures" provides that the participating states will consult and co-operate with each other about any unusual and unscheduled activities of their military forces outside their normal peacetime locations. Also, it describes the mechanism for consultation and co-operation: after one state submitted a request for an explanation, the other has to give an answer to all the questions to dispel the concern. Whether the reply was transmitted or not, both states involved have the right to request an extraordinary meeting on the matter. All participants of the document may join the event.

Sources in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs state that they don't find the request "reasonable", as the military activities near the Ukrainian border are "not unusual and unscheduled", thus the Vienna Document doesn't apply here.

Ukraine is concerned over the Russia-Belarus joint drills, which began the day before. Previously Russia was spotted on the deployment of military equipment and armored combat vehicles to Belarus. Apart from that Russia is staging large-scale tank and artillery drills in the neighboring regions soon. The Ukrainian and US intelligence indicated Russia preparing an operation to justify the invasion of Ukraine, allegedly with the use of a fake video.