You're reading: Poroshenko thinks threat of direct invasion deep into Ukraine remains

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko allows for the possibility of an in-depth militant offensive into the Ukrainian territory.

‘Does this mean that the enemy has abandoned the idea of direct invasion or an offensive of the militants deep into Ukraine? No,’ the president said in the center of Kyiv on Monday on the occasion of Ukraine’s Independence Day.

‘The Russian military force stationed near our border in the east has exceeded 50,000 men, and over 40,000 are staying in the occupied territories, including 9,000 career officers of the Russian Armed Forces who hold command positions and thereby form Russian army units on our lands,’ he said.

In the president’s words, Russia has felt the effect of the sanctions while Ukraine has improved and enhanced its defense capacity in a qualitative and quantitative way.

‘We are for peace but we are not pacifists. So, we will increase the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ budget, will enlarge remuneration of servicemen and will enhance the contract component of the Armed Forces,’ Poroshenko said.

The president said that he would be unable to promise that conscription and mobilization would stop.

‘There cannot be a 100% contract army amid an aggression. There have never been such examples in history,’ he said in conclusion.

Moscow has said several times that there are no Russian troops amassed near the Ukrainian border, which is proven by the objective information of international inspections.