Ukrainian military intelligence: Russia supplies weapons to Donbas from Crimea
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Deputy Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Vadym Skybytsky claimed on Radio Liberty’s Donbas.Realii that two routes are used by the Russian military to supply to the Donbas Ukrainian weapons seized in annexed Crimea.
"Two routes were used to deliver weapons seized by the Russian army from occupied Crimea to the separate areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions: through the waters of the Sea of Azov and through the territory of Russia. The arms supply is constantly controlled by the Russian authorities,” Skybytsky stated.
“At first, this was done by the representatives of the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia and the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. Now, the Southern Military District of the Russian Armed Forces is supplying weapons to the occupied territory of the east of Ukraine."
Russia made no comment on these allegations. In the past, it has repeatedly rejected accusations about arms deliveries to the Donbas. On January 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is ready to return to Ukraine its military equipment from annexed Crimea.
Later, the Head of Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pavlo Klimkin announced that the Kyiv would never officially agree to get its military equipment back from the Crimea until the war has ended and the territories have been returned. He also added that Ukraine had not received any official proposal from Russia about the return of military equipment.
The former People's Deputy of Ukraine, Andriy Senchenko said in December 2017 that he was engaged in negotiations on the withdrawal of arms and the evacuation of the families of military and cadets in 2014 during the Russian annexation of the Crimea. According to him, he managed to withdraw 3,502 units of military equipment and arms that were last shipped on June 16, 2014.
International organizations recognized the occupation and annexation of the Crimea as illegal and condemned the actions of Russia. Western countries have introduced economic sanctions. Russia denies the occupation of the peninsula and calls it "the restoration of historical justice." The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine officially declared February 20, 2014 as the beginning of the temporary occupation of the Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia.