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Poroshenko Orders Increased Battle Readiness Around Crimea, Donbass

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced on Twitter Thursday that he had ordered enhanced battle readiness of all military divisions that border the Donbass and the Crimean peninsula.

The Ukrainian president also had a conference with the heads of the country's security forces and Foreign Ministry.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also met with his Security Council on Thursday. According to the Kremlin's official website, “extra measures of assuring security” in Crimea were discussed. Scenarios of "anti-terror security measures on land, air and naval borders of Crimea were discussed in detail," according to the website.

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) on Wednesday announced that they had foiled a "terrorist plot" prepared by the Ukrainian military.

Putin accused Ukraine on Wednesday night of “resorting to terrorism” in an attempt to distract the Ukrainian people from endemic corruption in the government, the Interfax news agency reported. Putin also said that meetings in the Normandy format to implement the Minsk peace agreements, scheduled for next Month in China, do not make sense in these new circumstances.  


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