Russia’s Permanent Representative spoke about the transfer of the military before joining the Crimean – RBC

Russia’s permanent representative to the EU Vladimir Chizhov

Photo: Soeren Stache / DPA / TASS

Russia in early 2014 to urgently airlifted to the Crimea nine thousand troops, said Russia’s permanent representative to the EU Vladimir Chizhov. At the same time, he noted that they were on the peninsula legally

In the first quarter of 2014 the Russian Federation immediately tossed in Crimea 9000 military personnel, their redeployment took place in the air. This was told in an interview with DW Russia’s permanent representative to the EU Vladimir Chizhov. The diplomat thus clarified that the Russian troops on the territory of Crimea in March 2014 were in accordance with the law.

«In accordance with the bilateral agreement between Russia and Ukraine of 1997, the Russian Federation received the right to military presence in Sevastopol where was located the main base (Black Sea – Ed.). Russian fleet, as well as all over the Crimea in an amount of not more than 25 thousand personnel, “- said Chizhov. At the beginning of the Crimean crisis 16 thousand Russian servicemen were located on a peninsula, the diplomat added. “The gap in 9000 a man was quickly remedied by sending additional reinforcements in the air,” – said Chizhov

In the same interview Chizhov denied the presence of Russian troops operating in the Donbass.. He also answered a question about the Russians Eugenia Yerofeyev and Alexander Alexandrov, each of which a court in Kiev sentenced to 14 years in prison for the conduct of the war against Ukraine. Permanent Representative repeated the official version of the Ministry of Defence that at the time of arrest and Yerofeyev Alexandrovna were active servicemen of the Russian Federation. “You know, it’s hard to prove something in a case where the lost evidence, and the lawyer of one of the suspects killed in the Ukraine”, -. Chizhov replied to another question the journalist on this topic

In February-March 2014 Crimea important management and infrastructure were occupied or blocked by military unmarked, which dubbed the “green men” or “polite people”. Reporters fairly quickly informed that it was the Russian army troops, but official Moscow has denied these claims.

4 March, President Vladimir Putin said during a press conference rejected the suggestion that the divisions that blocked the Ukrainian military units in Crimea, owned by the Russian army. According to him, it was the Crimean self-defense forces, and similar to the Russian military uniform they could purchase “any Voentorg».

However, in mid-April, during the “straight line” the president admitted that the “troops self-defense “of the Crimea were” special units and armed forces. “