Muzhenko: during Russia’s annexation of Crimea Ukraine sent 8,000 troops to neighboring Kherson region
When the Crimea was annexed by Russia in 2014, 8,000 servicemen were transferred to the Kherson region, as reported by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Viktor Muzhenko on Bloger.FM radio.
"There was already an understanding that this would not end with peaceful annexation, that there still would be confrontation. And at that time a decision was made to create the appropriate military formation along the border and I had to build a force to operate on the southern flank, the Isthmus of Perekop," Muzhenko said. According to him, the troops were deployed as part of this plan, at the Shyrokui lan training area, then later at the Kherson steppes.
Muzhenko said that the troops were taken from each military base, from each operational command of more or less combat-ready trained units, and thus a force of about 8,000 people was amassed.
Previously, Muzhenko said that the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was developing a plan to carry out a landing operation in the Crimea in order to prevent the annexation.