Defense Minister of Ukraine Stepan Poltorak has said that the situation on the Ukrainian-Russian border is still difficult, Russia has a desire to seize all of Ukraine, but the Armed Forces are ready to defend the state.
“The situation remains difficult. The grouping of troops, which is located on the border with Ukraine, is dangerous for Ukraine. Some 28 battalions of tactical groups, a huge group in the Azov Sea region, the forces and means increased during the occupation of Crimea in certain areas tenfold, are dangerous,” the head of the Ministry of Defense said in an interview with the Pryamiy TV channel on Saturday, answering a question about the situation on the border with Russia and the intentions of the Russian troops.
According to him, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are monitoring the situation, intelligence is working, and “we are getting the information.”
“We are always ready to fulfill our constitutional duty and protect our state,” Poltorak stressed.
Answering the question about the possibility of a full-scale war with Russia, Poltorak expressed conviction that Russia still has a desire to seize Ukraine.
“The only thing is that the tactics is changing, the forms of the implementation of aggression are changing. We are being tested at the front. It does not work on the front – they try it inside the country. Unfortunately, the threats of open aggression are still relevant, they exist and, unfortunately, they are extremely possible today,” said the minister.
