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Russia to deploy reinforcements to Crimea
TND Article Spotlight: PressTV
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu
Russian defense minister says Moscow considers deploying a “fully-fledged and self-sufficient” military contingent to Crimea as a priority and will station reinforcements there amid tensions with the West.
On Tuesday, Sergei Shoigu cited Crimea’s reunification with Russia, the Ukrainian crisis and the NATO buildup near Russian borders as factors determining the need to revise Russia’s security plans for the region.
He added that the new forces will be sent from Russia’s southern military district, which is the closest area to the Crimean Peninsula.
Last week, Russia deployed a number of Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets to an air base near the Crimean city of Sevastopol.
According to Crimean authorities, the Russian Defense Ministry plans to reinstitute the airfield in Crimea, which was mostly abandoned during the 23-year Ukraine’s rule over the strategic Black Sea peninsula.
Crimea declared independence from Ukraine on March 17 and formally applied to become part of Russia, following a referendum a day earlier, in which 96.8 percent of participants voted in favor of the secession. The voter turnout in the referendum stood at 83.1 percent.
The move sparked angry reactions from the US and the European Union, both imposing “punitive measures,” including travel bans and assets freezes, against a number of Russian officials as well as authorities in Crimea.
Western powers and the Kiev government accuse Moscow of having a hand in the crisis in eastern Ukraine, which erupted when Kiev launched military operations in April to silence pro-Russia protests. Russia denies the accusation.
Source: http://thenewsdoctors.com/russia-to-deploy-reinforcements-to-crimea/
