Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday dismissed as "nonsense" allegations by the United States that Moscow was preparing a fake video as a pretext for starting a war in Ukraine, Russia's RIA news agency reported.

U.S. intelligence agencies believe Russia has formed a plan to use a fabricated video showing the graphic aftermath of an explosion targeting Russian people as a pretext for an invasion, a statement from the Pentagon said on Thursday. 

Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. had evidence of a plan by Moscow to film a fake Ukrainian attack on Russians to justify a real assault on its pro-West neighbor. 

"We do have information that the Russians are likely to want to fabricate a pretext for an invasion," Kirby said. 

Russia's Permanent Representative to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov refuted the statement, RIA Novosti reported.

"It's something similar to false flag operations conducted by Western countries and certain quasi NGOs in Syria some time ago, with alleged chemical attacks allegedly by the Syrian government, but in essence by their opponents. So I can assure you that Russia is never involved in any business of this kind. And no reason, logically speaking, that that might be taking place," Chizov was quoted as saying by TASS. 

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed the allegation, and told TASS on Thursday that it was not the first time materials about Russia's plans to "invade" Ukraine have been published in the U.S., but nothing has followed afterwards.  

(With input from agencies)

(Cover: Russian Ambassador to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov talks to the media after a meeting of Russian ambassadors and representatives to international organizations, July 19, 2018. /CFP)