MOSCOW, March 16. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin was informed about the Ukrainian plans use special reconnaissance teams to breach the border and ordered to replace conscripts with professional soldiers and volunteers, VGTRK journalist Pavel Zarubin reported, citing Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu.

"The intelligence obtained the information about potential attempts to breach the state border two weeks before said attempts. In this regard, the commander-in-chief ordered to withdraw forces, equipped with conscripts, further back from the state border, and to replace them with professional soldiers, volunteers and special operations forces, and that is what was done," the journalist said.

Starting on March 12, Ukrainian troops repeatedly attempted to breach into the Russian territory, including by involving special operations forces and foreign mercenaries. They carried out several terror sabotage attacks: four on the Belgorod direction one on the Kursk direction. President Putin noted that these "pointless and criminal actions" sought to disrupt the presidential elections in Russia.