The head of the FSB border service, Vladimir Kuleshov, said on Thursday, May 28, in an interview with RIA Novosti that Russian border guards have taken additional measures to strengthen the border between Russia and Ukraine.

“The fighting in the southeast of Ukraine to forcefully suppress the resistance of the people’s militia by Kiev has necessitated the need to take additional measures to strengthen the security of the Russian-Ukrainian state border,” Kuleshov said.

He explained that these measures were carried out in the context of a large flow of Ukrainian refugees across the state border, as well as the growing threat of Ukrainian right-wing radical and extremist organizations entering Russia and the illegal movement of weapons and ammunition across the border.

Reuters previously reported that Russia has tripled the amount of military equipment in a field camp at the Kuzminsky training ground in the Rostov region near the border with Ukraine since March. The agency notes that trains loaded with equipment, accompanied by military personnel, arrive at the Matveev Kurgan railway station, and after unloading they are sent to the Kuzminsky training ground. According to Reuters, since May 23, at least 26 tanks and about 30 Uragan multiple launch rocket systems have been delivered.

At the same time, markings are not visible on a significant part of the equipment, and military personnel wear camouflage without identification marks, the agency reported. Several soldiers told reporters they were sent on training exercises.

The Russian Ministry of Defense, when asked by Reuters about the purpose of transferring troops to the border with Ukraine, said it could not provide immediate comments on this matter. Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday, May 27, refused to comment on the movements of Russian military units. “We consider the formulation of the question and wording like “is an invasion being prepared” inappropriate as such,” Peskov answered the question of whether the movement of military personnel in the Rostov region means preparations for an invasion of Ukraine.

The FSB has additionally strengthened the border with Ukraine