Ukraine in Arabic | Thousands of Russians soldiers are in Ukraine, state security says
KYIV/Ukraine in Arabic/ Ukraine's defense minister said that 7,500 Russian troops are present in the east of the country, which has been witnessing months of violence between the pro-Russian separatists and the government troops. The statement, from Colonel General Stepan Poltorak comes as four Ukrainian soldiers have been reported dead and 10 others injured in the past 24 hours.
Ukraine’s SBU state security press service earlier said that there is no threat of invasion of Kharkiv region by Russian-backed militants or Russian troops. The situation in Kharkiv has been tense in recent days and weeks, with several unexplained explosions fraying nerves in the region.
Russia also denied it had sent Russian troops into Ukraine when it deployed Russian special operations soldiers, wearing unmarked uniforms, in the Ukrainian territory of Crimea ahead of the peninsula’s illegal annexation by Moscow in March.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said at that time that no Russian troops had been sent into Crimea, but later admitted that the “little green men,” as the Russian soldiers came to be nicknamed, were indeed Russian servicemen.