The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has sent a note of protest to the Russian diplomatic service in connection with the Russian Federation holding "military parades" in the territory of annexed Crimea without agreement with the Ukrainian side, which is regarded as a provocation, the press service of the Foreign Ministry said.

"This provocation once again confirms that Russia deliberately goes on to further escalate tensions in Ukrainian-Russian relations and does not want to resolve the problematic issues caused by armed aggression of the Russian Federation and its occupation of part of the sovereign territory of Ukraine," it said.

The corresponding note of protest has been handed over to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the ministry's press service said Wednesday night, June 25.

The ministry called the open neglect by the Russian side of the current legislation of Ukraine and international law, in particular, UN General Assembly resolution А/Res/68/262 of March 27, 2014 "Territorial integrity of Ukraine" in connection with holding on June 24, 2020 of so-called parades of the Russian Federation Black Sea Fleet units on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the victory over Nazism in the temporarily occupied territories of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, as well as Russian armed forces in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions without coordination with the Ukrainian side.

"We regard the demonstration of military equipment by the Russian Federation during so-called military parades in the temporarily occupied territories of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol as a continuation of Russia's policy of militarization of the Crimea, which poses a serious threat to European security. It is especially cynical that the Russian occupation administration involves minor children for militaristic purposes," the ministry said.

The Foreign Ministry also believes that holding these parades in temporarily occupied Donetsk and Luhansk with the military equipment demonstration, in particular, 155mm howitzers 2A65 Msta-B, 122mm howitzers 2C Gvozdika, multiple launch rocket systems BM-21 Grad, Strela-10 anti-aircraft missile systems, T-72 tanks, BTR-80 armored vehicles, BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles is a gross violation of obligations of the Russian side to the Minsk agreements.

"Ukraine requires the Russian Federation to immediately cease internationally unlawful acts against the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and take comprehensive measures to de-occupy part of the sovereign territory of Ukraine, including the withdrawal of all its armed forces, military equipment and mercenaries," said the Foreign Ministry.