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Donetsk (Ukraine) (AFP) - Kiev's security service on Monday said its army in the war-torn east has captured 10 Russian paratroopers on Ukrainian soil, ramping up tensions on the eve of crunch talks on the conflict.
Soldiers from the 98th airborne division based in central Russia were captured near the Ukrainian village of Dzerkalne, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) southeast of the rebel hub Donetsk, Ukraine's security service (UBS) said in a statement.
"Investigators opened a criminal probe into illegal border crossing by Russian armed citizens," it added.
The news comes just hours before Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is due to meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin for the first time in months alongside top EU officials in Minsk on Tuesday.
Ukraine's Defence Minister Valeriy Geletey said the soldiers had been captured on Monday.
"Today Ukrainian armed forces captured many Russian soldiers," Geletey wrote on his Facebook page.
"Officially they are at exercises in various corners of Russia. In reality, they are participating in military aggression against Ukraine" and their families know nothing about their true fate, he said.
"I am addressing the relatives of Russian servicemen: find out immediately where your loved ones are. Take them out of Ukraine, where they are being forced to die," he added.
Kiev has long accused Moscow of stoking the separatist insurgency raging in its east but this is the first time Ukrainian authorities have claimed to take soldiers from Russia's regular army captive.
Earlier on Monday, Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said troops had halted a column of tanks and armoured personal carriers flying rebel flags from Russia heading towards the government-held port city of Mariupol.
But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismissed the claims, saying "there has been more than enough disinformation about our invasion. No doubt some foreign newspaper will print that 'news' tomorrow".
An AFP journalist witnessed heavy fighting to the south of Donetsk, the main rebel bastion in eastern Ukraine, where separatists said they had deployed fresh tanks and artillery.
Poroshenko on Monday dissolved Ukraine's parliament and called early elections, accusing some lawmakers of supporting the rebellion in the east
originally posted by: Xcathdra
Once again Russia is caught with its hands in Ukraine and continues to lie about it.
originally posted by: Bassago
Poroshenko on Monday dissolved Ukraine's parliament and called early elections, accusing some lawmakers of supporting the rebellion in the east
Ha so we know what happened to those in Parliament. He dressed them in Russian uniforms and then arrested them.
Since this is ATS pics or it didn't happen or in this case pics or it's just more Ukrainian propaganda. Surely someone had a camera phone.
Still it's possible guess we'll see if they come up with verifiable documentation. If they do I wonder what Putin will say to Poroshenko when they meet. Old Poroshenko may be the next one running for the Ukraine border in a westerly direction.
originally posted by: Bassago
Since this is ATS pics or it didn't happen or in this case pics or it's just more Ukrainian propaganda. Surely someone had a camera phone.
originally posted by: bjarneorn
originally posted by: Xcathdra
Once again Russia is caught with its hands in Ukraine and continues to lie about it.
What a moron.
You call a couple of rebels, the Russian army. First of all, Russia has full reason to invade Ukraine, but doesn't.
But you want to provoke them?` Let me try to inform you what a full scale war with Russia means. Within 24 hours, Ukraine would fall ... with hundreds of thousands of casualties the first day.
originally posted by: BornAgainAlien
Russia says it`s going to send more aid to the Eastern Ukraine and Kiev immediately comes up with some wild accusations that makes them look bad...
...glad the summer is almost over, the re-runs are getting boring.
originally posted by: Indigo5
originally posted by: Bassago
Since this is ATS pics or it didn't happen or in this case pics or it's just more Ukrainian propaganda. Surely someone had a camera phone.
They have released full video of the Russian Para-Military unit. Russia has acknowledged it grudgingly, saying they just got lost on patrol and wandered (30 miles) across the border.
30 miles is a stretch for being "lost". Even more so when you have conflicting stories by those captured.