Oleksiy Danilov: Foreign Partners Have Finally Seen Russian Troops in Ukraine

On 24 January, the National Security and Defence Council (NSDC) held a meeting dedicated to the Russian threat and other challenges to Ukraine’s national security. NSDC Secretary Oleksiy Danilov said that there were no grounds for allegations about the possibility of a full-scale offensive on our territory by the armed forces of the Russian Federation at the moment.

“There have been a lot of informational events in our country lately. A lot of paramilitary fiction is appearing in the media. I would like to address you, friends, colleagues, with a request to reduce tensions a little bit. The current situation is quite clear to us. I would very much ask everyone to keep calm,” he underscored.

Commenting on the build-up of Russian troops near the borders of Ukraine, Danilov asked, “Is there a movement of Russian forces in the territory of the Russian Federation? Yes, there is. We record it, but it is not surprising for us. It may be news to foreign partners that they have finally seen that there are troops of the Russian Federation and that they are moving”.

The NSDC Secretary advised the citizens of Ukraine to stay calm and trust the government and local authorities who know what to do in force majeure cases.

“If necessary, we have a nationwide alert system,. We will not hide anything. You see that we bring all the processes to your discretion, and we are ready to communicate with you in any case,” he said.

Natalia Tolub