Kiev says Russia has 7,500 troops in Ukraine
Tensions soar in Ukraine's embattled east following Kiev coalition's vow of intent to join Nato as defence minister says thousands of Russian troops are in the country
Ukraine has said Russia has thousands of troops in its conflict-ravaged east and has vowed to boost its own military capacity, ratcheting up tensions on Saturday after Kiev’s new coalition pledged to make joining Nato a priority.
The latest declarations from Ukraine’s defence minister threaten to provoke fresh Russian anger as the government in the former Soviet state flags its allegiance to the West ever more clearly.
Russia denies providing military support to pro-Moscow separatists fighting Ukrainian forces in the east, where nearly 1,000 people have died since a ceasefire was implemented in September.
“The presence of 7,500 representatives of Russian armed forces in Ukraine destabilises the situation.”
“Unfortunately, the stabilisation of the situation in the east of Ukraine does not depend only on us,” Defence Minister Stepan Poltorak said in a statement.
“The presence of 7,500 representatives of Russian armed forces in Ukraine destabilises the situation and prevents us from stabilising it.”
Cash-strapped Ukraine also plans to “increase the strength of the armed forces” and boost levels of arms and equipment, Poltorak said, pledging this would take place “in the nearest time” but not giving a specific timeframe.
His comments came after Ukraine’s new coalition declared that joining Nato was a priority and stipulated that a law be passed by the end of the year confirming the country’s intention to push for membership.
The five-party coalition, agreed on Friday following October elections, features the groupings of President Petro Poroshenko, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and former premier Yulia Tymoshenko.