Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Aug. 17 that Ukraine's military was preparing a new offensive against Russian-backed rebels in the contested region of east Ukraine, according to a report from the pro-Russian Tass news agency. Lavrov's contention, which follows one week of intense confrontation between both sides that have left more than 15 dead and dozens injured, counters similar claims by Kiev that pro-Russian rebels were preparing their own attacks to take the strategic coastal town of Mariupol.
International Business Times: Ukraine stoking Donbas war, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claims
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) welcomes his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif during a meeting in Moscow on Aug. 17, 2015.
