11 August 2016•Update: 12 August 2016
By Ali Cura
KIEV, Ukraine/MOSCOW
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko gave orders Thursday to enhance the military’s combat readiness amid “Russian provocation in occupied Crimea and escalated actions in eastern Ukraine”.
In a statement, Ukraine’s presidency said Poroshenko met security officials and Foreign Ministry leaders, giving instructions to “enhance the combat readiness of the Armed Forces, National Guard, Border Service and Security Service of Ukraine”.
“Special requirements” have been outlined for border guards in the Crimea and Donbas areas and police have been told to enhance the protection of strategic facilities and infrastructure to prevent possible attacks.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin met permanent members of his Security Council Thursday.
The Kremlin said Putin discussed additional security measures and critical infrastructure protection in Crimea after Russian security services claimed to have prevented an attack on the peninsula.
The participants also reportedly reviewed counter-terrorism measures along the land border, offshore and in Crimea’s airspace.
Russia's security service, the FSB, said Wednesday that it had arrested a Ukrainian military intelligence operative allegedly preparing an attack in Crimea.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry denied the claims, saying the arrested man was not a member of the intelligence service.
Putin made a statement the same day accusing the Kiev administration of resorting to terror, instead of holding talks.
Poroshenko dismissed the accusations as "cynical and insane".
"Russian accusations that Ukraine launched terror attacks in the occupied Crimea are equally cynical and insane as its claims there are no Russian troops in eastern Ukraine.
"These fantasies pursue one goal: a pretext for more military threats against Ukraine," he said, adding Ukraine "resolutely" condemned terrorism.
"We would never ever use terror to de-occupy Crimea," he added.
*Hale Turkes contributed to this story from Ankara.
