You're reading: Turchynov reports presence of two Russian army corps, up to 35,000 troops in Donbas

"Russia has been structuring its army units in Donbas throughout summer 2015," said Secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Oleksandr Turchynov.

“Russian military command has completed the creation of a powerful ground force in Donbas based on two army corps which are prepared for active war operations,” Turchynov said on Aug.27.

According to ршь, the first and second army corps are supervised and supported by the 12th special command of reserves of the Russian Armed Forces Southern Military District based in Novocherkassk in the Rostov Oblast.

“Russian career officers occupy most positions in the commands and staffs of these army corps. Up to 40% of corps personnel are residents of the occupied territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk Oblast; there are also contract servicemen and mercenaries from Russia hardened in battles in eastern Ukraine,” the NSDC press service reported.

In addition, military reserves comprising of the 21st tactical group of the Russian Armed Forces (15 battalion groups and six company groups), in all, over 9,000 men, are present on the occupied territory. Fifty-three tactical groups of the Russian Armed Forces (39 battalion groups and 14 company groups) with a total strength of 50,500 men are deployed along the eastern border of Ukraine, Turchynov said.