As the bloody standoff in Ukraine reaches its annual apex month for violence, Kiev claims Russia is sending more troops near its borders, while the Kremlin has snapped back that it has every right to do so.
Relations between both countries have deteriorated significantly since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014; it has since backed separatist militants in Ukraine’s border regions. However, Moscow has not officially declared war on Kiev and continues to deny official involvement in the fighting on the ground.
Speaking during a military conference, captured in a Facebook video and posted on the military’s official account on Sunday, Ukrainian Chief of General Staff Viktor Muzhenko said his forces had observed new moves on the Russian side of the border.
“The organizational and staff structure, the arms and the military equipment that is approaching for reinforcement, indicates that these Russian divisions are striking forces in their essence and are intended for carrying out rapid offensive actions,” he said.
