KYIV. Feb 22 (Interfax) - The threat of a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine by Russia persists, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said, adding that Russia continued to bolster its military presence near the Ukrainian border.
"There is still a threat of a full-scale aggression on Russia's part. Not only has this threat been oozing through the Donbas sectors we cannot control; it is also looming along the entire borderline with Russia or even farther," Poroshenko said at a conference of the Ukrainian Armed Forces top brass in Kyiv on Wednesday.
Russia has deployed up to 50,000 troops in close proximity to the Ukrainian border, he said.
"There are about 470 tanks, more than 1,700 armored fighting vehicles, around 390 artillery systems, 220 rocket launchers, roughly 490 warplanes, hundreds of helicopters, and 24 warships," he said.
"The Russians are building new bases and are expanding and modernizing the existent facilities and other military infrastructures. There is no way to guarantee all of that will not be moved against us some day," Poroshenko said.