Putin May Have 10,000 Troops in Ukraine, Russian Opposition Says
Source: Bloomberg
Russia has 8,000 to 10,000 soldiers in eastern Ukraine after the numbers have continued to swell this year amid denials by Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a report compiled by slain opposition leader Boris Nemtsov.
Including the Russian military, rebel troop numbers have reached as many as 37,000, and the government in Moscow has spent 53 billion rubles ($1 billion) in military support for the pro-Russian insurgency in Ukraine, according to the report released by opposition activist Ilya Yashin. He along with colleagues completed the research following Nemtsovs Feb. 27 murder in central Moscow.
Neither Putin nor any of his generals have the courage to admit the fact of military aggression against Ukraine, the report said. Shallow lies and hypocrisy are being passed off as great political wisdom.
U.S. officials say the insurgents have been using a lull in fighting since a February truce to prepare for a possible new offensive. Putin has repeatedly rejected U.S. and European accusations that hes aiding rebels in Ukraines easternmost regions with military personnel and equipment.
Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-12/putin-may-have-10-000-troops-in-ukraine-russian-opposition-says
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