Russian mercenaries have deployed to separatist-controlled eastern Ukraine in recent weeks to bolster defences against Ukrainian government forces as tensions between Moscow and the West rise, four sources have told Reuters new agency.
Russia moved thousands of its regular troops closer to Ukraine in recent weeks. Moscow then demanded urgent security assurances from the West to ensure that Ukraine, and any other neighboring, countries, are not used to attack Ukraine.
Both the West and Ukraine accuse Russia, for its part, of plotting a new attack against its south-facing neighbour within the next month. Moscow refutes this claim.
Speaking earlier today, Vladimir Putin claimed eastern Ukraine is Russian and demanded NATO give ‘security guarantees’ amid fears he is poised to invade the country – but played down talk of war and said he welcomed peace talks with the US.
Putin called Ukraine a ‘historical territory’ after Russia’s fall at the end of his year-end press conference.
Russian mercenaries have deployed to separatist-controlled eastern Ukraine in recent weeks to bolster defences against Ukrainian government forces, sources have said. Pictured: Russian soldiers take part in drills at the Kadamovskiy firing range in the Rostov region in southern Russia, Wednesday, December 22, 2021
Donbass was described by him as a Ukrainian area bordering Russia. He also said that Donbass had ‘never considered itself to be anything but part of Russia’, and that he was forced to act in 2014.
The Russian leader may have been willing to travel a great distance in these remarks.
Russia annexed Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine and supported pro-Russian separatists that seized large swathes of industrial Donbass in eastern Ukraine the same year. These rebels continue to battle Ukrainian government forces.
Four sources provided information. Three described the offers of mercenary recruitment agents to travel to Donbass. The recruiters didn’t reveal who they were, the sources claimed. They were afraid for their safety and declined to identify the four sources.
Zwei of the three sources stated that they accepted, while the third claimed he rejected.
“There’s a full house.” One of them accepted, saying that they were gathering everyone with combat experience.
He stated that he was a former soldier in Ukraine and Syria fighting for Russian security contractors, whose operations were closely aligned to Russia’s strategic interests. The contractors were not identified by him.
He claimed that he had plans to join other mercenaries at the Russian border with separatist-held Luhansk in eastern Ukraine.
According to the Kremlin, it does not have anything to do with Russian private military contractors. The Kremlin describes these operatives as volunteers without any connection to state.
Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin, stated that it was the first time they’ve ever heard about this. We don’t know how trustworthy these claims are.
Peskov claimed that neither Russian troops nor military advisers were present in eastern Ukraine. He also stated that Moscow had no plans to send any.
Kyiv denies that, and claims regular Russian army troops are present.
Alexander Ivanov is the head of the Community of Officers For International Security. This non-governmental organization represents Russian contractors in Central Africa Republic. He said that he has ‘not one confirmation’ that any Russian military personnel had been sent to Ukraine.
Pictured: Russian tanks take part in a military drills at Molkino training ground in the Krasnodar region, Russia, Tuesday, December 14, 2021
The sources claimed that they did not know of any Russian plans to strike Ukraine again or make preparations suggesting such an attack.
Sources claim that the military deployment is for defense purposes. One source claims the contractor was a Russian citizen who had participated in Russian foreign operations. First mercenary also said that.
According to another source, he did not direct the deployment. However, he kept in touch and was in contact with special-trained personnel on the ground. The purpose of the mission was, he said, to destabilize Ukraine.
After separatist fighters seized a small part of eastern Ukraine, the Donetsk People’s Republic declared its independence from Ukraine (DPR). Its self-proclaimed status, which was supported by Russia has not been recognized internationally.
Alexander Borodai (ex-prime Minister of DPR, head of Union of Donbass Volunteers), stated that his organization was not involved with the recruitment of mercenaries to eastern Ukraine.
His organisation has had members who fought in Syria and Ukraine.
Borodai is also a Russian lawmaker and a member of the United Russia ruling party.
This image was provided by the Ukrainian Board Guard Press Office. The Ukrainian Border Guards are watching as a Special Vehicle digs a trench at the Ukraine-Russia border near Sumy (Ukraine), Tuesday, December 21, 2021.
Eduard Basurin, a separatist spokesperson said that he did not know anything about recent Russian security contractor deployments to the eastern Ukraine.
While the military intelligence services of Ukraine refused to comment on the matter, state security officials did not respond to an inquiry.
Putin asked NATO to provide guarantees that it would not expand further eastward. He also claimed the NATO buildup at Ukraine’s borders was an act of defense, downplaying any possibility of invasion.
Since weeks, Western countries have warned that Putin is preparing tens to thousands of tanks, artillery and troops in an apparent threat of invasion at Ukraine’s eastern borders.
Russia has been warned by Europe as well the United States of America that it faces unprecedented sanctions if they launch an attack against NATO ally Ukraine.
Both parties have tried to reach a settlement through strategic stability negotiations. The Russian leader today spoke out in support of the plan to begin talks in Geneva next year. But, he added that “The ball is theirs.”
Vladimir Putin today claimed eastern Ukraine is Russian amid fears he is poised to invade the country during his annual end-of-year press conference
America warned for weeks that Putin may be preparing tens to thousands of tanks, troops and artillery pieces in order to invade Ukraine. But the Kremlin insists it’s merely a defense force. (pictured: Russian forces are currently positioned in border areas)
Putin described today the latest buildup in troops at Ukraine’s east border as an attempt to protect Russia and the ethnic Russians who live next-door.
He claimed Russia had no choice but to defend the Ukraine’s minority population after the Soviet Union collapsed and that Kyiv had reduced Russians to second-class citizenship.
He stated that Russians are removing Russians from historical territories and they were also threatening the Russian-speaking populace.
The people of Donbass need to decide what the future holds for Donbass. This cannot happen any other way. Our role is to act as mediators, creating conditions that will determine the future for the residents of this area.
Putin claimed that the West was warmongering against Ukraine through creating an “anti-Russia”, brainwashing and modern weaponized population, as well as a ‘anti Russia’. He also said that the US is ‘warning’ us to not get in the US”s way or sanctions would follow.
They tell us war is coming. They seem to be preparing for another operation [in Donbass]He said that they are warning us to not get in their way or there will be sanctions.
This is not our choice. We don’t want this. Our security outlook must be considered not only for next week, but also for the immediate future.
Russia could not continue living with constant fear about the security threats that might be posed in Ukraine by Western weapons deployments, said he.
“Are we placing missiles near the United States’ border?” The United States has already arrived with missiles to our shores.
He argued that Western weapons might encourage the hawkish Ukrainian forces to try to take back control of Russia-backed separatist areas by force, and possibly even reclaim Crimea which Russia annexed to Ukraine in 2014.
They said that the outcome of the negotiations was more important than the course. What’s the point? They didn’t cheat, they just brazenly fooled us! They have already begun to appear in Romania and Poland after five rounds of NATO expansion.
Putin denied plans for an attack, but described NATO expansion in Ukraine and the deployment of weapons as a “red line”.
Defense officials and senior Kremlin officers have become more insistent about the fact that NATO and West are violating Moscow’s security guidelines and getting dangerously close to Russia’s borders.
He said, “The outcome of the negotiations does not matter to us. ”
‘So what? They did not cheat but brazenly tricked me! They have already begun to appear in Romania and Poland after five rounds of NATO expansion.