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Ukrainian General Warns of 'Large-Scale Aggression' by Russia

by VOA News July 15, 2014

Tensions between Kyiv and Moscow rose sharply Tuesday, with a Ukrainian general warning of an imminent Russian military attack and the country's security chief saying he had 'absolute proof' Russia was involved in the downing of a Ukrainian military transport plane.

'Ukraine, as never before, is on the threshold of large-scale aggression by our northern neighbor,' Gen. Mykhaylo Koval, deputy secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, told Ukraine's ICTV channel.

Meanwhile, the head of Ukraine's security service, the SBU, says his agency has 'absolute proof' Russia was involved in Monday's downing of a Ukrainian military transport plane in eastern Ukraine.

Valentyn Nalyvaichenko said Tuesday that the evidence Russia was involved in shooting down the AN-26 transport plane over the Luhansk region would be presented to President Petro Poroshenko and made public.

On Monday, pro-Russian separatists claimed responsibility for shooting down the plane and said four crew members had been taken prisoner.

However, the Defense Ministry said Monday the plane was flying too high to have been hit by conventional surface-to-air missiles.

'The plane was struck by another, more powerful projectile that was probably launched from the territory of the Russian Federation,' Defense Minister Valeriy Heletey was quoted as telling President Poroshenko on the presidential website.

Strongly hinting at Russia's involvement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, NATO expressed concern over the fire power and origin of weapons used by separatist fighters in the region.

'The Alliance is concerned about the growing number of heavy weapons being operated by pro-Russian elements inside eastern Ukraine, as well as the increasing sophistication of these systems. Evidence suggests that these weapons are being supplied by Russia, along with the military expertise to employ them with a high degree of effectiveness," a NATO military officer told VOA.

Calling the development "highly regrettable," he said it was "eroding the chances of solving this crisis through diplomatic means.'

Kyiv calls on EU to tighten Russia sanctions

Ukraine says it has provided the European Union with evidence of Moscow's support of pro-Russian rebels and is calling on the bloc to tighten sanctions against Russia at an upcoming summit.

The evidence was presented on Tuesday in Brussels by Ukraine's EU representative Kostyantyn Yeliseyev, Ukraine's UNIAN news agency reported.

"Incidents of Russia's interference have become more daring," Yeliseyev said, citing the transfer to rebels of weapons currently in the arsenal of Russia's armed forces.

"[Such transfers] cannot be viewed as a constructive contribution toward the de-escalation of the situation in Ukraine," he said.

He expressed hope that the European Council, at its June 16 meeting in Brussels, will therefore adopt tighter sanctions against the Russian Federation.

"EU member countries should place international law, shared democratic principles and common sense above their business and energy interests,' Yeliseyev was quoted as saying.

'Act of goodwill'

Meanwhile, Russia has invited diplomats from 18 countries to visit a border town where it says a Ukrainian shell killed one person.

Russia's Defense Ministry says the visit by foreign military specialists and journalists will take place Tuesday in the Rostov region. The deputy defense minister has called the planned visit 'an act of goodwill.'

Russia's Foreign Ministry described the shelling incident as 'an aggressive act by the Ukrainian side against sovereign Russian territory and the citizens of the Russian Federation' that could have 'irreversible consequences.' Ukraine's government denies involvement.

The daily Russian newspaper Kommersant on Monday quoted 'a source close to the Kremlin' as saying that Moscow was considering 'pinpoint retaliatory strikes' against Ukraine in response. However, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman called such reports 'nonsense.'

President Poroshenko has also accused Russian military officers of fighting alongside rebels, and said a new Russian missile system was in use against Ukraine forces.

Details of the missile accusations were reported on Facebook by Defense Ministry spokesman Vladyslav Seleznyov, who accused rebels of targeting residential areas in Luhansk with truck-mounted Grad rockets.

NATO reported that Russia has again boosted its troop presence on the border. A spokesman told VOA some 10,000 troops, including special forces, are marshaled in border areas, along with tanks, artillery, logistics and supply vehicles. That is about a tenfold increase in the past month.

Fighting has surged in the east since the Ukrainian government refused to renew a unilateral cease-fire June 30. Since then, Ukrainian forces have driven the rebels out of several cities, including their main stronghold of Slovyansk.

Some information for this report was privided by AP and Reuters.