By Bill Tong
"A new USSR?" That doesn't seem to far off, according to Ukrainian officials.
Ukrainian defense spokesman Andriy Lysenko reports that 32 tanks, 16 D-30 howitzers and 30 KamAZ heavy trucks crossed past a border checkpoint and headed toward the volatile Luhansk region on Thursday.
Dmytro Tymchuk, a Ukrainian official, mentions that the "armored column" included "a battalion tactical group of the Russian Armed Forces."
The Kremlin denied such claims and cited them as "aggressive" and "provocative."
A NATO official says that "If this crossing into Ukraine is confirmed, it would be further evidence of Russia's aggression and direct involvement in destabilizing Ukraine."
The official also mentions that Nato is currently looking into such claims and knows that there is already a large increase in Russian tanks and soldiers on the eastern border, despite the fact that Ukrainian is not part of NATO.
A Russian defense ministry official criticized what he called "all such provocative reports aimed at further fueling of tension(s)." The official claimed that a single source had made up the Russian troop movement sightings, reports that have also showed up as "rumors in social networks" on Friday.
In the end, this issue has already opened old scars and ignited tensions among the former nations of the Soviet Union. Currently, over 2,085 Ukrainian soldiers have died in the unrest.
Caption: Protesters clash with police in Ukrainian.
"A new USSR?" That doesn't seem to far off, according to Ukrainian officials.
Ukrainian defense spokesman Andriy Lysenko reports that 32 tanks, 16 D-30 howitzers and 30 KamAZ heavy trucks crossed past a border checkpoint and headed toward the volatile Luhansk region on Thursday.
Dmytro Tymchuk, a Ukrainian official, mentions that the "armored column" included "a battalion tactical group of the Russian Armed Forces."
The Kremlin denied such claims and cited them as "aggressive" and "provocative."
A NATO official says that "If this crossing into Ukraine is confirmed, it would be further evidence of Russia's aggression and direct involvement in destabilizing Ukraine."
The official also mentions that Nato is currently looking into such claims and knows that there is already a large increase in Russian tanks and soldiers on the eastern border, despite the fact that Ukrainian is not part of NATO.
A Russian defense ministry official criticized what he called "all such provocative reports aimed at further fueling of tension(s)." The official claimed that a single source had made up the Russian troop movement sightings, reports that have also showed up as "rumors in social networks" on Friday.
In the end, this issue has already opened old scars and ignited tensions among the former nations of the Soviet Union. Currently, over 2,085 Ukrainian soldiers have died in the unrest.
Caption: Protesters clash with police in Ukrainian.