ROSTOV-ON-DON, July 27 (RIA Novosti) - Two Ukrainian border guards have crossed over to Russia and said they would ask for the Russian citizenship, a representative of the Russia’s Border Guard Service in the Rostov Region told RIA Novosti.
"Two Ukrainian border guards, unwilling to fight, crossed over to Russia and asked for asylum," Vasily Malayev said, adding that a major and a senior warrant officer were going to ask for Russian citizenship.
More than 40 Ukrainian military men have left their units and asked independence supporters to get on the Russian territory in order not to fight against their own people, Malayev said.
Kiev authorities launched a special military operation in the east of Ukraine in mid-April in a crackdown on the independence movement. Hundreds of people, including civilians have died in both regions over the past months.
Moscow has described the ongoing military action as a punitive operation and has repeatedly called on Kiev to put an immediate end to the bloodshed. Russia’s Foreign Ministry has also urged the international community to intervene and investigate the crimes against humanity that occurred in Ukraine in recent months.
