Large-scale armed security operation starting in Ukraine

Oleksandr Turchynov has announced that the National Security and Defense Council has made the decision to draw the military to the security operation in eastern Ukraine.

"The National Security and Defense Council has made the decision to launch a large-scale counter-terrorism operation with the use of the armed forces," he said on Rada television on Sunday evening.

He said the authorities will not allow the Crimean scenario to repeat itself in the eastern region.

Turchynov added that the Ukrainian leadership had been doing all it could to avoid casualties. "But we are ready to rebuff attempts to commit an aggression and to upset stability, and armed terrorist actions," he said.