Russia's ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin has warned that Ukraine wants a bloodbath - and Russia is ready to respond with force. This comes as Andrew Marr grilled Mr Kelin on the huge number of Russian troops amassing on its border with Ukraine. The BBC host suggested that this "looks like the beginning of an invasion" to many observers.
Mr Kelin claimed that Russia were not looking for war, but insisted "Russia will respond if Ukraine starts a bloodbath".
Eastern Ukraine is under the control of Russia-backed rebels, and Moscow has warned that attempts to attack these rebels from Ukraine would see a military response from Russia.
Mr Kelin told the BBC: "We are moving troops to tell Ukraine that there will be a price if they decide to advance on this territory and make a bloodbath on it."
He insisted that the number of troops on the border, understood to be a tenth of Russia's entire armed forces, were a "normal military exercise".
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He added: "Inside the Ukraine, on the line of demarcation between the self-declared republics of Donbass and others, there are 60,000 Ukrainian troops and this build-up continues."
Mr Marr followed up: "But you will have seen the videos of what is being moved to that border and it's not simply troops.
"It is tanks and field hospitals and long-range communication. This looks like the beginning of an invasion."
Mr Kelin pointed out that "NATO wants to assemble 30,000 troops on the border of Russia and Ukraine, also assembling tanks, vehicles, and so on".
The US has announced the deployment of two warships to the Black Sea in an attempt to shore up Ukrainian resistance to the Russians.
In Russia, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned the situation in eastern Ukraine was “very unstable”.
He added that growing tension between the two countries could be the " beginning of the end " for Ukraine.
Amid the growing tensions, the US is said to have voiced fears the provocative Russian military exercises near the Black Sea could lead to passenger flights being caught in the crossfire.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMigwFodHRwczovL3d3dy5leHByZXNzLmNvLnVrL25ld3Mvd29ybGQvMTQyNDYxOC9SdXNzaWEtVWtyYWluZS13YXItbWlsaXRhcnktdGVuc2lvbnMtQkJDLUFuZHJldy1NYXJyLWludmFzaW9uLVdXMy1QdXRpbi1sYXRlc3QtbmV3cy12btIBhwFodHRwczovL3d3dy5leHByZXNzLmNvLnVrL25ld3Mvd29ybGQvMTQyNDYxOC9SdXNzaWEtVWtyYWluZS13YXItbWlsaXRhcnktdGVuc2lvbnMtQkJDLUFuZHJldy1NYXJyLWludmFzaW9uLVdXMy1QdXRpbi1sYXRlc3QtbmV3cy12bi9hbXA?oc=5
2021-04-18 09:15:00Z
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