NOVO-OGAREVO, March 05. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu named photos of military hardware with Russian numbers in Crimea posted in media as an act of provocation.

“Certainly, this is an act of provocation,” Shoigu replied to a question how he comments on such media reports.

Shoigu also noted that there was no information that people blocking Ukrainian military facilities in Crimea had received modern weaponry, including Tigr and Rys personnel armored carriers. “I do not have any idea about this,” the minister said.

In his words, people in military uniform without any insignia are not linked with Russia army at all. “It is absolutely false,” Shoigu said. In reply to a journalist’s question whether there were Russian servicemen among these people without any insignia in Crimea, he said, “Absolutely, not. There were none of them."