Kremlin: Russia increased its military presence in annexed Crimea
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu stated at a meeting of the State’s Duma Committee on Defense that Russia strengthened its military presence in annexed Crimea to provide security for the peninsula, TASS reports.
“Our military position has been strengthened in the Crimea. We maintain the territorial security of the peninsula and the interests of Russia in the Black Sea,” said Shoygu. He recalled that the Operational Command was also created in the far maritime zone. It controls ships that perform tasks in the Mediterranean Sea.
“All military units are now at the state of perpetual readiness,” stated the Russian Defense Minister.
Russian militarization of the annexed Crimea continues and according to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, the number of Russian personnel may reach fifty thousand people in a couple of years.