Russia in 2014 after the escape of ex-president Viktor Yanukovych has prepared 80-thousand army to invade mainland Ukraine, this was reported during the presentation of the book about the formation of the volunteer movement in the Interior Ministry, which was broadcast by "112 Ukraine" TV channel, the National Security and Defence Council Secretary Oleksandr Turchynov.
"Russia started aggression against Ukraine on February 20 (2014 - Ed.), when the heroes of the Heavenly Hundred were being killed on Maidan. They calculated everything very precisely. Yanukovych's regime is doomed, they have no control of anything, and there is no new government in Ukraine and it is unclear whether there will be any at all. It’s when they start the aggression, knowing the state of the Armed Forces, all official military formations, knowing that their agents, especially in times of Yanukovych, with him and his henchmen have systematically destroyed the defense potential of Ukraine for decades. They did that so that the country did not rise, so that there was no resistance. At this time, in late February, they started to transfer assault divisions in the Crimea, seizing administrative offices, strategic infrastructure, and numerous army of professional soldiers, tanks, artillery, multiple rocket launcher systems were gathering on the border with Ukraine,” Secretary of the National Security Council said.
"Around 80 thousand, that was the army Russia prepared to invade Ukraine,” he added.