At least 1,000 Russian troops have advanced into Ukraine, NATO has said. While the alliance wants to increase its military presence in the Baltic states, the EU is due to meet to discuss stepping up sanctions, reports GHN based on dw.de
NATO's top commander in Europe, US Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, invited journalists to a briefing at the alliance's headquarters ahead of a NATO summit in Wales next week, but had to cancel his press conference when tensions heightened in Ukraine. Breedlove didn't issue an official statement, but a high-ranking NATO military official said on the condition of anonymity that Russian troops advancing on Ukrainian territory was "a significant escalation." He confirmed that at least 1,000 Russian troops have been deployed to Ukraine.
Breedlove has repeatedly warned that Russian maneuvers at the border could turn into an invasion
"Russian soldiers fight with separatists and among separatists," the NATO official said. The figure of 1,000 was a rather careful, conservative estimate, he added.
A Ukrainian military spokesperson has accusedRussia of deploying tanks - so far, NATO wasn't able to confirm this information. However, the alliance said it had noticed increased activity on the Russian-Ukrainian border in the past two weeks. Russia apparently tried to create a second front line for the Ukrainian army in order to help the separatists, the NATO official said. It's a very bleak situation for Ukraine's military, he added.