Ложь Путина о российских войсках в Крыму

In December 2013, President Vladimir Putin denied that Russia would deploy troops to Crimea, calling the idea "utter nonsense." Yet by March 2014, Ukrainian authorities reported that Russian forces had blocked Ukrainian units in Crimea, a claim Putin dismissed as local self‑defense. Subsequent reports and footage documented Russian troops surrounding the Ukrainian 2320 unit near Simferopol on March 2, attempting to disarm a Ukrainian border guard squad in Balaklava, and breaching a Ukrainian anti‑aircraft unit in Evpatoria on March 4. Military experts later analyzed photographs from Crimea, noting the presence of a GAZ‑2975 “Tiger” off‑road vehicle bearing a military registration code for the North‑Caucasus military district and a guard division insignia, as well as a new Russian‑made Dragunov sniper rifle and a PNV‑93.2 night‑vision device used by Russian special units. Putin’s statements at the Valdai International Discussion Club confirmed that Russian armed forces were employed to block Ukrainian units in Crimea, contradicting his earlier denials.