Russia states that it has right to send in troops to Ukraine to protect "new Russians" of Donbas

Russia does not intend to initiate a military operation against Ukraine, but has the right to promptly use its armed forces to protect Russian citizens abroad in the event of an attack on them. This statement was made by vice-speaker of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev in an interview with one of the Russian media.

"Russia does not hatch plans to carry out a military operation against Ukraine of its own free will", - Kosachev said, having repeated the hypocritical propaganda cliché that "Russia has never attacked anyone first".

At the same time, he does not consider the introduction of troops into the territory of a sovereign country under the guise of "protecting compatriots" as an attack. One of the grounds on which the Russian Armed Forces can be operationally used abroad is the protection of Russian citizens outside its territory in the event of an armed attack on them, - Kosachev assures.

He does not exclude this option in Ukraine. Allegedly, Russia sees how the situation around Donbas is escalating, "how Ukraine is being pushed to try to solve the problems of the South-East by military means".

"Without prejudging the development of events, I will simply remind these provocateurs that after the tragedy of Tskhinvali, Russia introduced serious amendments to the current federal law "On Defence" in November 2009. The tenth article of this law makes it possible to efficiently use the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation abroad", - Kosachev indirectly admitted that part of Georgia was occupied in this way. In South Ossetia, they carried out a massive distribution of Russian passports at first, and then the Russian Federation began to "protect" its "compatriots".