Russia will act immediately to protect Russians in the Donbass

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov explained the buildup of Russian troops near the borders of Ukraine. According to him, Ukraine "is turning into an explosive region," RIA Novosti reports on Friday, April 9.

“Ukraine is turning into a potentially very unstable region again. And, of course, any country that has an unstable, dangerous, explosive region near its borders, takes necessary measures to ensure its own security,” he said.

The spokesman for the Russian president also said that in yesterday's telephone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Vladimir Putin explained that the movement of Russian troops across the Russian Federation was an internal matter of Moscow.

On April 5, commenting on reports about the alleged movement of the Russian military in the Rostov region with taped numbers, Peskov noted that the Russian army was moving on the Russian territory in the directions deemed necessary. Over the past few weeks, the Kremlin has been pointing out a growing threat of provocations on the part of Ukrainian security forces in southeastern Ukraine.

On April 2, Kiev accused Moscow of military build up in the Donbass.

In the event that war in the Donbass resumes, Russia will take measures to counter and protect the Russian people residing there, Peskov also said on April 9. He also called the escalation of the conflict in southeastern Ukraine unprecedented. 

“This raises concerns,” he said.

On April 8, Dmitry Kozak, deputy head of the presidential administration said that Russia will protect the Donbass residents, if it has to. He also said that the beginning of hostilities in the Donbass would be the beginning of the end of Ukraine. Kiev found Kozak's remarks an act of  pressure both on Ukraine and on other participants in the Norman Format.