MOSCOW. March 18 (Interfax) - Russia did not send troops to the Crimea, but only reinforced its grouping within the limits set by an international agreement, said President Vladimir Putin.
"It is true that the Russian president has received the right from the upper house of parliament to use the armed forces in Ukraine. Strictly speaking, the president has not even used this right so far. The Russian military did not enter Crimea. The troops were there already in compliance with an international agreement," he told the Federal Assembly on Tuesday.
"It is true that we have strengthened our grouping. But I would like to make a point everyone should know and hear: we have not even surpassed the limit of 25,000 troops - the assigned strength of our armed forces in the Crimea. There was just no need in that," he said.