Kiev says 54 thousand Russian troops are now amassed near the Ukrainian border

Deputy commander of Kiev's anti-separatist military operation Sergey Galushko announced earlier today that more than 54,000 Russian troops have amassed near the Ukrainian border. According to Galushko, there are currently 15 battalions and six tactical groups stationed immediately outside Ukraine.

Galushko says the Russian military has dramatically increased its presence in eastern Ukraine over the past three days, particularly in the city of Horlivka, though he assures the public that “there is no reason to panic.”

The Ukrainian side is constantly increasing its reserves at the operations and tactical levels. In the event of aggression by the enemy, we have available a large battery of firearms, artillery, and rockets.

In late May, the news agency Reuters reported a sharp increase in the number of Russian troops stationed near the Ukrainian border, including groups of soldiers wearing unmarked uniforms, like those Russian soldiers used to capture Crimea.

On May 18, 2015, Vladimir Putin issued an executive order classifying information about the deaths of military servicemen “during peacetime when carrying out special operations.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said President Putin will use whatever constitutional powers are necessary to defend Russian national security, including the right to appeal to the Senate for permission to deploy troops abroad.

Moscow has repeated denied claims that active Russian military personnel are operating in eastern Ukraine.