Already 31,500 Russian troops deployed in occupied Crimea

07.11.2019 11:27

Ukrinform

As of autumn of 2019, Russia's military presence in the occupied Crimea is 31,500 troops, as well as about a thousand units of military equipment, including tanks, armored vehicles, powerful artillery, aviation, and navy weapons.

Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Yehor Bozhok announced such data at a briefing "Demilitarization, de-occupation and reintegration of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and city of Sevastopol (Ukraine): future challenges" at the UN Headquarters on Wednesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

"Today, according to our data, the size of the united operational group of the Russian Federation in the occupied Crimea is 31,500 troops," the Ukrainian diplomat said.

He cited statistics that there are 40 Russian tanks, 583 armored vehicles, 162 heavy artillery units, 122 combat aircraft, 62 helicopters, 12 multiple rocket launchers on the territory of the temporary occupied Ukrainian peninsula. In addition, there are 34 Russian warships and seven submarines in the region.

The representative of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine stressed that the militarization of Crimea by the occupying power had increased several times in recent years in a planned and consistent manner. At the same time, he said, Russia is not going to stop. "The number of Russian troops and armaments is expected to increase one-and-a-half times by the end of 2025," Bozhok said.

He paid particular attention to the problem of restoration of nuclear infrastructure in Crimea by the occupying power and the deployment of facilities and systems capable of carrying nuclear weapons that violate Ukraine's previously declared nuclear-weapon-free status.

In this regard, he informed about Ukraine's intention to submit an updated draft resolution "Problem of militarization of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine, as well as parts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov Seas" for consideration to the UN General Assembly and called on UN member states to support this document. The main purpose of the draft resolution is to force the Russian Federation to withdraw all troops from Crimea and stop the temporary occupation of the peninsula.