Russia carries out show of force along administrative border between Crimea and mainland Ukraine
According to a spokesman for the Ukrainian Border Guard Service, Oleg Slobodyan, Russian troops have carried out a show of force by transferring military equipment along the administrative border between Crimea and mainland Ukraine, as reported by Krym.Realii.
As Slobodyan explained, border guard officers of the Berdyansk and Kherson squadrons noticed a movement of Russian military equipment within 1 kilometer of the administrative border.
He stated that a column of seven Grad artillery vehicles, two APCs, one tank, and two KrAzs approached mainland Ukraine, staying within 1 kilometer. After several hours, the column turned back and returned to the peninsula. Border guard officers in the Kherson region also reported four Russian helicopters flying near the administrative border.
The presence of Russian helicopters and unmanned drones in the area is not uncommon.
The internationally recognized Ukrainian territory of Crimea was annexed by the Russian Federation in March of 2014 in the wake of the Ukrainian revolution. The Kremlin has faced international condemnation for its annexation of the Peninsula, leading many western countries to impose economic sanctions against Russia. In the United Nations, only Afghanistan, North Korea, Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Syria recognize Crimea as a legitimate federal subject of Russia.