“The hostilities in southeastern Ukraine, taking place as part of Kiev’s military crackdown on the pro-independence militia, necessitated additional measures to step up the defense of our state border”, General Vladimir Kulishov told RIA Novosti news agency without elaborating.
He said the measures were being taken amid the growing influx of Ukrainian refugees and the growing threat of rightwing radicals and other extremists crossing into Russian territory and weapons and ammunition smuggled in from Ukraine’s war-torn Donbass region.
