The Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee says there is “no doubt” that the significant escalation in violence in eastern Ukraine is being spearheaded by official Russian forces.
A fragile and often-interrupted ceasefire in the rebel-plagued regions of Ukraine shattered completely this weekend, with government forces exchanging massive artillery bombardments against rebels and, increasingly, regular Russian troops and equipment that had been rushed into the area.
Russian forces had previously entered Ukrainian territory towards the end of last summer, directly confronting Ukrainian troops. But those soldiers withdrew following the ceasefire, and the low-intensity conflict that followed was largely between the Russian-backed rebels and forces commanded from Kiev.
That tenuous status quo now appears irreparably shattered, with NATO’s European commander confirming on Tuesday that the Russian military has returned in force — even bringing nuclear-capable equipment with them.
“What’s unusual is the degree of involvement of regular Russian army troops,” said Ed Royce, California congressman and Foreign Affairs chairman. ”In the past they’ve tried to disguise this . . . I have no doubt. I was in Ukraine, and I talked to a lot of people in-theater. There is no doubt at this point in time.”
“They are over the border, and they are over the border with equipment,” he continued. “This is no longer just a fight against rebels. This is Russian forces — thinly disguised — that are carrying out attacks against Ukrainian forces.”
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