International military inspectors note a Russian military build up near border with Ukraine
An international military inspection was not allowed access to Russian artillery systems in the Rostov region in the area of Novocherkassk, Ukrainski Novyny reported, citing the leader of the inspection team, Oleksiy Vershygora.
"Significant accumulation of artillery systems of various types was visually detected and have been identified. The inspection team was denied access to the facility, and they were also prohibited from taking photographs of the artillery,” he said.
Vershygora noted that he does not exclude the use of artillery for the armament of the units of the 150th Motorized Rifle Division, as well as for pro-Russian separatist groups in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. According to him, at this time the headquarters of the 150th Motorized Rifle Division has already been formed in the village of Persianovsky in the Rostov region (50 km from the border with Ukraine). The active deployment of military equipment is also underway which is concentrated in the areas of the Rostov region bordering Ukraine. In addition, military settlements for a long-term deployment of the division are 90% complete.
During a recent military inspection in the Rostov region it was found that Russia had violated the Vienna Document on confidence- and security-building measures. The international inspection committee included representatives from Ukraine, Canada, and Denmark. Ultimately, the area of the inspected the region amounted to about 16,000 square kilometers.