Putin admits 'little green men' in Crimea were Russian servicemen

He said this during a Q&A session on Thursday.

"We had to take the necessary measures to prevent the events from unfolding in a way they are unfolding in the southeastern part of Ukraine today, so that there were no tanks, no combat units of nationalists and people with extreme views but properly armed with automatic weapons. Of course, our military servicemen stood behind the back of the self-defense forces in Crimea. They acted in a very correct but a resolute and professional way," Putin said.

He added that "little green men" had performed the task of ensuring the conditions for free expression of Crimean residents.

Earlier, Putin categorically denied the presence of Russian troops in Crimea who described themselves as self-defense forces.

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