Russia has hit back in an online spat with Canada over its operations in Ukraine.
Canada’s NATO delegation initially sent a sarcastic barb on Twitter, patronisingly pointing out where the Russia-Ukraine border was.
It was in response to Vladimir Putin’s claims that Russian soldiers had crossed into Ukraine territory by accident.
Geography can be tough. Here’s a guide for Russian soldiers who keep getting lost & ‘accidentally’ entering #Ukrainepic.twitter.com/RF3H4IXGSp
— Canada at NATO (@CanadaNATO) August 27, 2014
Now Russia’s NATO delegation has got responded – highlighting what it sees as an inaccuracy in the original tweet.
Canada had included a map, curtly pointing out what territory was ‘Russia’ and what was ‘Not Russia’.
It included Crimea within the area marked ‘Not Russia’.
The peninsula voted to become part of Russia earlier this year, after Kremlin-backed forces seized control.
But the West did not recognise the change, calling it illegal.
Russia’s NATO delegation tweeted a map, claiming Crimea as its territory. It said: “Helping our Canadian colleagues to catch up with contemporary geography of Europe.”
Helping our Canadian colleagues to catch up with contemporary geography of #Europe
CanadaNATO</a> <a href="http://t.co/MjzRxpFFfN">pic.twitter.com/MjzRxpFFfN</a></p>— Russians at NATO (
natomission_ru) August 28, 2014
The account – @natomission_ru – made a mistake in their its response, it’s been claimed, publishing a map that included South Ossetia and Abkhazia as being part of Russia.
Russian diplomats tweeted, then deleted, their map of Russia/Ukraine border. Map still being drawn apparently. pic.twitter.com/x8MqzxXyyb
— Brandt (@UrbanAchievr) August 28, 2014