By KYIV. Nov 1 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The stuffing of news about the alleged smuggling of weapons from Ukraine to Finland is yet another Russian disinformation, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.
"Throwing news about alleged arms smuggling from Ukraine to Finland is yet another Russian disinformation," he said on Facebook on Monday.
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson recalled that on Sunday, the Finnish media published information about the alleged fall of weapons from Ukraine into the hands of Finnish criminals, which were subsequently followed by reprints in Ukrainian and international media.
He said that on behalf of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, the Ukrainian embassy in Helsinki immediately contacted the Finnish police for details.
"In response, the Finnish side reported the absence of confirmed information or any specific facts of the supply of smuggled weapons from Ukraine. During the conversation today, the Ambassador of Finland in Kyiv also did not confirm the information published in the Finnish media," Nikolenko said.
He said Russia continues to make efforts to discredit international military assistance to Ukraine.
"The purpose of such a Russian information operation is to arouse fear among Europeans that the weapons that their governments are transferring to Ukraine to counter Russian aggression will turn against them, falling into the hands of criminal elements," the spokesperson of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.
Nikolenko said Ukraine maintains a close dialogue with international partners in the context of the transfer of weapons and the provision of an effective system for monitoring their use. He emphasized that it is critical that public comments are also based on official information and not on the assumption of individuals.
