Three groups of Russian troops on Ukrainian border put on combat alert

The movement of the troops can mean the preparations for an invasion.

Three big groups of Russian troops – North, Centre and South – have been put on combat alert near the Ukrainian eastern borders and in Crimea.

Admiral Ihor Kabanenko, a former deputy head of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, wrote it on Facebook.

The movement of the troops means they are preparing for something, according to him.

“In the nearest time, 'something' can be:

1. Further 'swinging' near our border with the aim of provocations and intimidation and, at the same time, expanding the instability zones with the involvement of Russian special purpose forces (saboteurs).

2. The invasion under pretext of carrying out a 'peacekeeping operation' with the aim of taking over Dnipropetrovsk (the main goal), Odessa and Kyiv, the occupation of the relative territories of Ukraine,” the former deputy head of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Force wrote.

“An information and psychological operation aimed at our army and civilians will be carried out,” Kabanenko underscored.

Russian subversive groups and local separatists began to seize administration buildings in Ukraine's eastern regions on April 6. Journalists of western media reported about Belarusians among the militants.

The Ukrainian authorities took a decision to launch an anti-terror operation in the country's east. Troops and military equipment were sent to the Donbass region. The Ukrainian army began an operation to free Slovyansk on April 24.