NATO confirms Russian troops in Ukraine
Senior NATO official, Brigadier general Nico Tak, speaks during a press conference focused on Ukraine crisis, on August 28, 2014 at the Shape (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe) in Casteau, near Mons. He said that "well over a thousand" Russian troops were operating inside Ukraine. "They support separatists, fighting with them and fighting amongst them," the official said, adding that the supply of arms by Russia had increased in both "volume and quality".
Earlier there were images shown which provide evidence of Russian troops inside Ukraine. Nato released the images to "provide concrete examples of Russian activity inside Ukraine. The organisation adds they "are only the tip of the iceberg in terms of the overall scope of Russian troop and weapons movements". “We have also detected large quantities of advanced weapons, including air defence systems, artillery, tanks, and armoured personnel carriers being transferred to separatist forces in Eastern Ukraine,” said Brigadier General Tak. “The presence of these weapons along with substantial numbers of Russian combat troops inside Ukraine make the situation increasingly grave,” he said......
Forces clash with 'reconnaissance' group from Crimea
Ukraine said its forces had clashed with a reconnaissance group that had entered its territory from the Russian-controlled Crimean peninsula, AFP reports. The National Security and Defence Council said the fighting had flared on Wednesday in the Kherson region of Ukraine just north of Crimea, and accused the Russian military of "establishing positions" nearby in the peninsula.
The claims sparked fears that Moscow could be plotting an offensive towards the Black Sea peninsula after Kiev accused Russian troops of seizing territory along Ukraine's eastern border, some 450 kilometres (280 miles away).......
Security Council to hold emergency meeting on Ukraine
The UN Security Council is to hold an emergency meeting on Thursday on the Ukraine crisis following reports that Russia had sent hundreds of troops to shore up separatists in east Ukraine. The session requested by Lithuania will be held at 4pm GMT at UN headquarters in New York, diplomats said......