In 2013, it was formed a Russian grouping that provided conducting the Winter Olympic Games. It was during this period that active measures were taken to prepare for the active phase of this Olympics. A lot of issues related to blocking the sea area, the blocking airspace, conducting various types of reconnaissance operations, including air - with the involvement of a large number of both helicopters and various types of aircrafts, including reconnaissance aviation, long-range radar detection aircrafts. Just they were those that under the guise of either training or practicing were already carrying out aggressive reconnaissance actions against our state,” Vadym Skibitskyi, a representative of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine said on the air of "Radio Svoboda".
Regarding January of 2014, the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine reported then on the strengthening all facilities of Black Sea Fleet which are located in the Crimea. In addition, at that time there were already evidences of redeployment of Russia's Special Forces units, which performed certain functions in the Crimea.
At that time, all these were covered by the Russian Federation by two following issues: first one - it was the preparation and security of the Winter Olympic Games, second one - it was unstable situation in Ukraine. Everything was presented that the situation in the territory of Ukraine is too unstable in order to guarantee the security of military facilities of the Black Sea Fleet," Vadym Skibitskyi said.