New Delhi, Mar 10 (IANS): Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov denied Ukrainian claims that Russian troops had shelled an operating maternity hospital in Ukraine.

The building had been used as a base by the far-right Azov Battalion of the Ukrainian National Guard, the top Russian diplomat claimed on Thursday, during a press conference in Turkey, RT reported.

The hospital in question has been for days under the control of a Ukrainian paramilitary group and Moscow presented evidence of this to the UN Security Council several days ago, Lavrov said.

"The Azov Battalion and other radicals kicked out all the expectant mothers, the nurses and other staff members. It was the base of the Azov ultra-radicals," he said, speaking after meeting his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Turkey's Antalya.

Lavrov added that reports coming from Ukraine that contradict this were obviously meant to "manipulate global public opinion" about what is happening in the country, and he also chastised Western media for taking part in the propaganda effort.

"I have seen reports... that were really emotional. Unfortunately, the other side of the situation, which would allow one to form an objective opinion, was not given any prominence," Lavrov said.

The Russian diplomat was commenting on claims raised by Ukraine that Russian troops had deliberately attacked a medical facility in the city of Mariupol on Wednesday.