MOSCOW, April 24 (RIA Novosti) – No facts have been found to support allegations that Russian troops are operating in eastern Ukraine, hit by pro-federalization rallies since last month, the head of the Collective Security Treaty Organization said Thursday.
The coup-imposed Ukrainian authorities backed by Western countries have claimed that Russia has sent troops to aid federalists in Ukraine’s east. Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier dismissed the allegations as nonsense.
“The presence of Russian servicemen on the territory of Ukraine in the eastern region has not been confirmed by anyone and anything, not a single fact,” Nikolai Bordyuzha said.
According to Bordyuzha, there is a “strong concentration of Ukrainian troop formations” in the region.
The chief of the Russian-led post-Soviet security bloc denied reports of a planned Russian military offensive in eastern Ukraine.
“I have not heard from any of the country’s leaders that Russia is ready to invade Ukraine. Russia has no such plans,” Bordyuzha said.
Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said Wednesday that international inspections had provided no evidence that Russia is carrying out “threatening military activity” on its border with Ukraine.
The Russian Foreign Ministry earlier said Russia is not conducting any unusual or unplanned military activities near its border with Ukraine.
