MOSCOW
Russia suspended on Tuesday the handover of armaments and military equipment from Crimea to Ukraine to prevent them being used "against civilians taking part in protests in eastern and south-eastern regions of Ukraine."
"I would like to reiterate that Russia previously pledged to restrict the weapon delivery to hot spots,” Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said in a press conference in Moscow.
Russia has returned nearly 400 pieces of military equipment to Ukraine from Crimea since the latter opted to join Russia last month, Antonov said.
In a referendum held on March 16, Crimea voted to secede from Ukraine in favor of union with Russia. Putin finalized the process on March 21 when he signed a bill into law officially annexing Crimea.
The move has been widely condemned by the international community.
Ukraine's mostly Russian-speaking east appears to be current flashpoint in the conflict between Russia and the West over Ukraine's territorial integrity.
Over the last four days, pro-Russian separatists took control of a number of public buildings in eastern and south-eastern regions of Ukraine.
The West has repeatedly accused Moscow of planning an invasion of Ukraine after its moves in Crimea.
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