Putin admits Russian military presence in Ukraine for first time

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

Russian president concedes military intelligence officers were operating in the
country but insists it’s not the same as regular Russian troops

Vladimir Putin has for the first time admitted the presence of Russian military specialists in east Ukraine.

Russia has repeatedly denied a military presence in the conflict, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. But the Russian president conceded there were military intelligence officers operating in the country in a marathon press conference on Thursday.

Asked by a Ukrainian reporter an hour into the briefing about two Russian military intelligence officers captured by Kiev and currently on trial in Ukraine, Putin said: “We never said there were not people there who carried out certain tasks including in the military sphere.” He insisted this was not the same as regular Russian troops.


Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/17/vladimir-putin-admits-russian-military-presence-ukraine

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Shaun Walker in Moscow
Thursday 17 December 2015 10.53 GMT

[randome]

1. Maybe this was the trade-off to Kerry announcing we aren't seeking regime change in Syria?

[hr][font color="blue"][center]TECT in the name of the Representative approves of this post.[/center][/font][hr]

[blackspade]

2. Putin splitting the baby.....

[pampango]

3. Moscow Times: Putin Admits Military Presence in Ukraine During Marathon Presser

President Vladimir Putin admitted for the first time to the presence of Russian military personnel in east Ukraine during his annual press conference on Thursday.

Asked by an Ukrainian reporter about an hour into the conference about two captured Russian military intelligence officers currently on trial in Ukraine, Putin responded: “We never said there were not people there who carried out certain tasks, including in the military sphere.”

He insisted, however, that these were not regular Russian troops.

Russia had repeatedly denied military involvement in the conflict in east Ukraine, despite what most news outlets consider mounting evidence to the contrary.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/putin-admits-military-presence-in-ukraine-during-marathon-presser/553173.html

[Blue_Tires]

4. I'm owed an apology from a couple dozen DUers at least...

And I want to finally see that retraction/apology from Robert Fuckin' Parry...

[randome]

5. Let's not be hasty. We haven't heard what RT.com has to say.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]Precision and concision. That's the game.[/center][/font][hr]