KIEV, April 30 (RIA Novosti) - Acting Ukrainian President Olexander Turchynov on Wednesday said territorial defense battalions will be formed in every region to protect the crisis-hit country.
"We have issued an order to form territorial defense battalions in every region," Turchynov told a meeting attended by heads of regional administrations. "We should have a possibility to rapidly deploy these mobile units to support other regions in case of such danger."
Turchynov added that Ukraine should rely both on "those who had been trained to defend the country" and "patriots."
The leader of the far-right party Right Sector, Dmitro Yarosh, who is charged in Russia with inciting terrorism, has said that the group's members will join the battalions.
Right Sector was an important force at the so-called Euromaidan protests that began in November in Kiev. Its members took part in the seizure of administration buildings, stealing of weapons and clashes with security forces. Currently, Right Sector radicals are suppressing pro-federalization protesters in eastern Ukrainian regions.
Turchynov earlier said the armed forces were fully combat ready to face the threat of a Russian continental war against Ukraine, according to a report by Ukraine's UNIAN news agency.
Moscow has repeatedly urged Kiev to disarm illegal groups, including the Right Sector rebels.
