The Russian Federation does not intend to invade the territory of Ukraine, but is ready to stop any provocations by the Kiev authorities to resolve the situation in Donbass by force, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov said, Interfax writes.
The head of the Russian General Staff stressed that the information about the allegedly impending invasion of the Russian forces into Ukraine, which is being actively disseminated in the foreign media, is completely untrue.
“The NATO countries are paying excessive attention to the movement of troops across the territory of the Russian Federation. The redeployment of units during combat training is a routine practice for the armed forces of any state. Military activity is carried out on national territory and does not require notification”, Gerasimov said.
In addition, the chief of the General Staff said that provocations by official Kiev on the option of a forceful settlement of the conflict in Donbass would be strictly suppressed by the Russian side. According to him, the supply of UAVs and other military equipment to Ukraine is pushing the authorities to refuse to fulfill the Minsk agreements.
“The Ukrainian armed forces announce the beginning of the use in the Donbas of the Javelin anti-tank missile systems, which were supplied by the United States, and also use Turkish-made reconnaissance and strike unmanned aerial vehicles. As a result, the already tense situation in the east of this country is aggravated”, Gerasimov summed up.