The United States on Thursday accused Russia of being “directly involved” in fighting in war-torn east Ukraine, after rebels appeared to seize swathes of territory from retreating government forces.
“An increasing number of Russian troops are intervening directly in fighting on Ukrainian territory,” US ambassador to Kiev Geoffrey Pyatt wrote on Twitter.
“Russia has also sent its newest air defense systems including the SA-22 into eastern Ukraine and is now directly involved in the fighting,” he said. After weeks of government offensives that have seen troops push deep into the last rebel bastions, the tide appeared to be turning once again in the four-month conflict, prompting a nervous government in Kiev to call on NATO for help.
AFP journalists on Wednesday saw no signs of government troops on a road southeast of the rebel-held city of Donetsk, while a pro-Kiev volunteer commander wrote that government forces were surrounded in the key transport hub of Ilovaysk. There has been increasing concern in Kiev and the West of Russia´s direct involvement in the conflict — a charge Moscow has repeatedly denied.
Poland´s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said NATO and Polish intelligence have evidence of regular Russian army units operating in Ukraine.
