Turchynov supposes creation of Russian strike groups for invasion of Ukraine

"Under the guise of strategic command and staff exercises, it is not ruled out that strike groups of troops of the Russian Armed Forces might be created for the crossing of the state border and military invasion into the territory of Ukraine," the council's press service quoted him as saying.

According to him, the Zapad-2017 strategic command and staff exercises of the Russian Armed Forces, the largest in Russia's history, have already begun. The formal theme of these exercises is "the use of groups of troops (forces) in the interests of ensuring the military security of the Union State [of Russia and Belarus] in the period of a growing military threat and repelling aggression in the Western theater of hostilities."

Turchynov recalled that over the past several years such maneuvers had been used many times for the achievement of hidden military and political goals.

op