Oleksandr Turchynov: Russia has concentrated such resource at Donbas that allows it to start the offensive at any time
The resource, which is systemically brought to occupied territory of Ukraine - it's regular armed forces of the Russian Federation that may start the offensive at any moment. This was stated by Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov during the program "Left Bank" on 24th channel.
"We see how Russian troops are being concentrated in the East, we see those preparations and resource, which they systematically bring to the occupied territories - weapons, military equipment, ammunition for artillery and multiple launch rocket systems", - he said, adding that it is regular armed forces of the Russian Federation that may start the offensive at any moment.
"We understand that there will be provocations, and we understand the technologies, which they are orienting their saboteurs and terrorists on" -, NSDC Secretary said, adding that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are ready to throw back the enemy.
In this context, Oleksandr Turchynov said that the intensification of military actions from the side of Russian occupation troops is not expected till the UN General Assembly meeting in New York, "where the Russian party is preparing for attempts to negotiate with the United States".
Oleksandr Turchynov stated that over the summer the situation at the occupied territories in the East of our country has significantly changed. Thus, according to him, during the first phase of military aggression the so-called terrorist groupings have been formed out of local separatists, who have been armed, and along with them regular units of the Russian armed forces were fighting.
"At present the situation is completely different. It is not, as we said before, the Russian-terrorist groupings. This is actually the armed forces of the Russian Federation", - he stressed.
According to Oleksandr Turchynov, the Russian General Staff used the technology that had been used by the Germans during the Second World War - the so-called units of the Waffen-SS, when the volunteers were taken from the occupied territories, army divisions were formed on the basis of them, and military leadership was performed by professional officers of the SS, of whom actually all the senior officers level was completely formed, "and the so-called local volunteers were used as cannon fodder".
"The Russian General Staff has formed two military corps at the occupied territory with a total of 33 thousand servicemen. All the senior officers level, beginning with the generals in charge of corps, the staffs, the battalions, the companies, the platoons - it is Russian professional military personnel. And on the soldiers' positions the locals are being used, but there are not more than 40% of them", - he stressed.
NSDC Secretary emphasized that there is only one difference between the corps at Donbas and other units of the Russian army: "All corps are better prepared, they have combat experience, they are professionally trained and ready to execute any command of the Russian General Staff". For coordination of these corps a reserve command of the Southern Military District of the armed forces of the Russian Federation has been created.
Besides these corps, according to him, a reserve out of about 9 thousand of Russian professional military personnel has been created, for the case if the complication of the situation on the battlefield would occur. Also along the eastern border of Ukraine about 50 tactical groups of Russian troops are concentrated - 40 battalion groups, 10 company groups - numbering about 53 thousand of servicemen.
As NSDC Secretary stated, the technology of building the pontoon ferries across the river Seversky Donets, mastered by the Russian troops, provides the ability within few hours to redeploy all the units of the Russian armed forces to the occupied territories in order to strengthen their reserves during the offensive or in defense.
Oleksandr Turchynov said that the situation at the line of separation remains complex, even after Russia was forced to reduce in tens times the number of shellings, "because, despite the fact that no active shelling by the heavy artillery is being carried out, snipers and sabotage groups are working and we have either wounded, or killed almost every day".
"The experience of dialogue with Russia has taught us that they cannot be trusted. And when they talk of peace, we should prepare for war. This is the experience we have gained over the last year", - NSDC Secretary said, reminding that according to the adopted National Security Strategy and Military Doctrine approved last week, Russia was recognized the main military adversary of Ukraine. "The issue concerning Russia may be withdrawn only after the complete liberation of the occupied territory, including Crimea. As long as Russian troops remain on our territory - we are actually in a military confrontation with Russia", - he concluded.