Due to the actual deployment of Russian troops within the territory of Ukraine, the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has cancelled his working visit to Turkey and called a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.
The situation in the Donetsk region has been deteriorating in the recent days with Russian soldiers and military equipment being massively deployed in the area. On August 27, the town of Novoazovsk in the Donetsk region, where no military operations had been held before, was taken by Russian troops. This was reported by the commander of the 5th special squadron “Donetsk”, battalion “Dnepr-1” Vladimir Shilov.
According to him, “Russian troops have taken Novoazovsk, tanks have blocked the town. Inhabitants are prohibited to leave it. As Russian military claim, mop-up operation is being planned in Novoazovsk”. Shilov claimed that this information had come from one of the soldiers at a checkpoint in Mariupol, as well as from the police officers in Novoazovsk.
Journalist of The New York Times in Novoazovsk Andrew Kramer also reported that Russian tanks were noticed during the battle in the town.
Earlier the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine stated that Russia's armed forces were moving military equipment and manpower closer to the border areas with Ukraine, especially in the Rostov region. Some of these units had crossed the state border and entered the territory of Ukraine.
Recent Russian actions clearly demonstrate that Moscow is bluntly drawing Ukraine and the entire world into a full-scale war.
Under the current circumstances, Ukraine counts on serious support from its international partners and believes that strengthening EU sanctions against Russia as well as providing Ukraine with military and technical support will help deterring Russian aggression.