The Kremlin’s official site reports that “Vladimir Putin is receiving regular updates on developments in southeast Ukraine”, and that “The President is following closely developments in southeast Ukraine, where a military operation is taking place against supporters of federalisation. Special Presidential Envoy Vladimir Lukin was sent to Ukraine to take part in talks on freeing the foreign military observers taken hostage earlier. Russian officials have not been able to make contact with Mr Lukin since the Ukrainian military operation began”.
Dmitry Tymchuk, leader of ‘Information Resistance’ group, informs that the delegation’s task is to make loud accusations of “gross violations of human rights” by the Ukrainian authorities and security forces in Eastern Ukraine.
Lukin was Putin’s representative who arrived in Kyiv on February 20, 2014 to participate in talks between Yanukovych and Maidan as a mediator of the Russian Federation. He became the sole representative of the parties that refused to sign the contract between Yanukovych and the opposition (in ‘non-compliance’ of which Moscow blames the current Ukrainian authorities).
