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<p>The Russian government has been linked with the crisis in Ukraine since its beginning,
when some Russian servicemen were given state medals for their role in the illegal
annexation of Crimea in spite of initial denials by Russia that they had been involved.</p><p>
</p><p>On 28 August the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney
(Mr Cameron) expressed his concern by further mounting evidence of Russian troop involvement
in Ukraine. This followed the release of satellite imagery taken by NATO on 21 and
23 August which showed Russian self-propelled artillery units inside Ukraine in the
vicinity of the Luhansk province. Brigadier-General Nico Tak, Head of the North Atlantic
Treaty Organisation's (NATO) crisis management centre, said that NATO had also detected
large quantities of advanced weapons, including air defence systems, artillery, tanks
and armoured personnel carriers being transferred to separatist forces in eastern
Ukraine.</p><p> </p><p>On 28 August the British Ambassador to the UN made a statement
which detailed evidence he had received further demonstrating the extent of Russian
involvement in Ukraine. The separatist arsenal included up to 100 Main Battle Tanks;
80 Armoured Personnel Carriers; 100 MANPADs; 500 Anti-Tank weapons; and over 100 artillery
pieces. Almost all of these were supplied directly by Russia since the conflict started.</p><p>
</p><p>On 15 August a convoy of 23 armoured personnel carriers crossed into Ukraine
close to where the Russian humanitarian convoy was awaiting customs clearance. The
following day a further convoy of 84 military vehicles crossed the border.</p><p>
</p><p>On 7 August, 50 vehicles, including tanks, armoured personnel carriers, and
BM-21 GRAD Multiple Rocket Launchers crossed from Russia into Ukraine at the Chervonopartisansk
border crossing.</p><p> </p><p>On 25 August, 10 Russian paratroopers belonging to
the 331st Regiment of the 98th Svirsk Airborne Division were captured near the village
of Dzerkalne - 20km inside Ukrainian territory. Satellite imagery confirmed the deployment
of Russian armoured vehicles supported by artillery south of Donetsk close to this
location. On 28 August another Russian soldier, Petr Khokhlov, serving with the 9th
Motor Rifle Brigade, was captured and detained in Luhansk.</p><p> </p><p>In light
of this evidence, it is not credible for Russia and pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk
and Luhansk to claim that these serving members of the Russian armed forces were in
Ukraine ‘by accident’ or ‘on holiday’.</p><p> </p><p>Russia can no longer pretend
that it is not a direct party to this conflict, indeed this conflict would no longer
exist without direct Russian military involvement in support of the separatists. The
Prime Minister has called for such activity to cease immediately and has warned of
further sanctions if Russia’s behaviour continues.</p>
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