DISINFO: Before 23 February 2022 there were no Russian troop on Ukrainian territory
SUMMARY
Before the start of the special operation, Russia did not offer military assistance to the Donbass. But Moscow noticed the militarisation of Ukraine and the mood for a forceful solution to the conflict.
RESPONSE
Recurrent Kremlin disinformation narrative about Russian military actions in Ukraine.
Since 2014 Russian military personnel is illegally present on the Ukrainian territory although their presence is frequently denied. A word even appeared in popular Russian language: Ikhtamnet meaning ” the ones that (officially) are not there”.
The armed separatists in the Donbas were assisted, trained and supplied by regular Russian army units since 2014. The size of the units in Donbas and their military activities was of such magnitude that constant supply with fuel, ammunition, repair and maintenance could only supplied via the Russian army. Russian officers de facto ran the units even if they were called Donbas-units. It is just the same way as Russia and Putin initially denied in February -March 2014 having invaded the Crimea peninsula only later to acknowledge, boasting, about their actions.
President Putin himself admitted to the presence of Russian “people there, who deal with certain matters, including in the military area” [i.e. soldiers] in December 2015 , and again in October 2016. He even awarded Russian soldiers who fought in Donbas and Russian Minister of Defence Sergei Shoygu awarded a Russian soldier for fighting near Debaltseve .
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