Ukraine is planning a possible false-flag operation in Romania or Poland that could escalate into a third world war, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has alleged, RT reported.
In a Telegram post on Friday, Zakharova pointed to reports in Hungarian media alleging that Kiev intends to stage acts of sabotage in neighbouring NATO countries and then blame Moscow.
"Europe has never been so close to the outbreak of World War 3 in modern history," Zakharova wrote.
According to her, the Ukraine's alleged plan involves repairing several downed or intercepted Russian UAVs, fitting them with lethal warheads, and sending them disguised as "Russian drones" to major NATO transport hubs in Poland and Romania.
Zakharova said these UAVs would be controlled by Ukrainian specialists. At the same time, a disinformation campaign would run across Europe to pin the blame on Moscow and provoke an armed conflict between Russia and NATO, RT reported.
She further claimed that Russian-made 'Geran' drones were reportedly delivered on September 16 to the Yavorov training ground in western Ukraine, which hosts the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security of the Hetman Petro Sagaidachny National Academy.
The UAVs had earlier been repaired at the LORTA plant in Lviv, she added.
Zakharova cited Hungarian journalists as saying that the reason for these alleged actions by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is straightforward: "the Ukrainian armed forces are suffering a crushing defeat."
"The collapse of the army," she quoted them as saying, "is no longer limited to the tactical level but has taken on a strategic dimension," RT reported.
"If all this is confirmed, it means that Europe has never been so close to the start of World War 3," Zakharova concluded.
