MOSCOW, July 24 (RIA Novosti) – Events in eastern Ukraine have nothing in common with terrorism as it is a civil war, president of the Association of Veterans of the Anti-Terrorism Unit Alpha Sergei Goncharov said Thursday.
“A civil war is going on in Ukraine. It has nothing in common with terrorism,” Goncharov said at a press conference held at news agency RIA Novosti, commenting on whether independence supporters are being unfairly labeled as terrorists.
According to the veteran, military actions that Kiev’s authorities are conducting in eastern regions of the country cannot be considered an anti-terror operation.
“Those people who live in Luhansk and Donetsk cannot be called terrorists,” Goncharov stressed.
Kiev authorities insist on labeling militia in eastern Ukraine as terrorists, while Western countries use the more neutral term “rebels.” Moscow has repeatedly called events in the neighboring country a civil war.