Defining Russia as "aggressor state" irresponsible: Russian officials

The Ukrainian parliament's decision to define Russia as an "aggressor state" is irresponsible and thoughtless, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said Tuesday.

"It is an absolutely irresponsible statement and a thoughtless act designed to impede advancement of the much needed compromise in Ukraine," he was quoted by TASS as saying.

Konstantin Dolgov, the ministry's Ombudsman for Human Rights, Democracy and Rule-of-Law, echoed the remarks of Karasin in an interview with local TV news channel, saying "It is absolutely clear that the decision will in no way bring us closer to achieve the main goal - to end hostilities and start a political process on the basis of the Minsk agreements."

Meanwhile, Mikhail Fedotov, head of the country's Human Rights Council, criticized the Ukrainian decision as a counter-productive propaganda move.

"Propaganda statements are nothing more than an information war. I am waiting for the Ukrainian parliament to take real measures to implement the Minsk agreements," he said.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Ukrainian parliament adopted a statement describing Russia as an "aggressor state", and called on the international community not to let the crimes by Russia since its "aggression in Ukraine" go unpunished and to impose further sanctions against Moscow to force it to stop the "aggression".

The Ukrainian parliament also voted to classify the self- claimed Lugansk People's Republic and Donetsk People's Republic as "terrorist" groups.