Over 600 Russian troops start exercises in Crimea

More than 600 Russian troops started exercises in Crimea, RIA news agency reported on Tuesday, a day before a summit on the Ukraine crisis in the Belarussian capital Minsk. RIA quoted Russia's Black Sea Fleet as saying that coastal defence units had started exercises in Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in March. They were using around 50 units of weaponry, it added.

The leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany are expected to meet in Minsk on Wednesday to seek an end to fighting in eastern Ukraine.