Ukraine’s troops confront Russian subversive groups even before they cross border in north

Russian subversive and reconnaissance units trying to penetrate into Ukraine from the north get a rebuff even before they are able to cross in, and if they do – anti-subversive reserves of Ukraine’s Defense Forces engage the enemy immediately.

That’s according to Yuriy Povkh, the spokesman for Operational Command North, who spoke on the air of the national telethon, Ukrinform reports.

"We can state that such attempts remain in place but we stop them before they even cross the border thanks to the vigilance of our military holding their positions and observing the enemy," Povkh said.

He added that in cases where subversive groups do manage to cross in, special units of Ukraine’s Defense Forces tasked precisely with repelling such efforts engage the enemy, forcing them to retreat.

"Our troops steadily perform all tasks assigned, and such attempts are stopped mainly thanks to artillery fire from observation posts," said Yuriy Povkh.

Also, according to the spokesman, Ukraine continues to fortify the two lines of defense in the northern operational zone.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, Commander of Ukraine’s Joint Forces Lieutenant General Serhiy Nayev said the situation is calm at the moment at the border with Belarus, adding that the situation can change at any moment and Ukrainian soldiers must be on guard to be ready to repel invaders.