Politics ,
Jan 26, 03:02
0
Ministry of Defense of Latvia: Russia did not let military inspectors into the Bryansk and Smolensk regions
Russia has refused inspectors from the Latvian Defense Ministry, who this week were supposed to visit the Bryansk and Smolensk regions as part of the arms control of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). About it informs Latvian military department.
According to the ministry, their visit was planned from January 24 to 29, but on January 21, Latvia received a refusal. The Russian side cited threats due to the spread of the coronavirus as the reason.
“This refusal is incomprehensible in a situation where Russia is massively concentrating its troops on the border with Ukraine, while at the same time stating that it does not plan an invasion,” the Latvian ministry said in a statement. Defense Minister Artis Pabriks admits that “Russia has something to hide and does not want to reveal the true extent of its military activity and its intentions.”
Despite the refusal, the Russian Defense Ministry on January 24 posted on its website a message about the arrival of four inspectors from Latvia in the country, the Latvian ministry claims. On this day, the head of the National Center for Nuclear Risk Reduction, Sergei Ryzhkov, said that Latvian inspectors would check Russian military facilities in the Bryansk and Smolensk regions, news agencies quoted him as saying. There is no such message on the website of the Ministry of Defense. Ryzhkov also pointed out that Russia had agreed to the inspection.
RBC sent a request to the Russian Ministry of Defense.