Ukraine crisis: Russia alarmed over US-Nato military moves
Moscow
has voiced concern over an "unprecedented" increase in US and Nato
military activity near Russian borders, amid an escalating crisis in
Ukraine.
But the US said Mr Shoigu also pledged Russia would not invade Ukraine.
Pro-Russia activists have seized buildings in more than a dozen towns in the east and still hold seven European military observers in Sloviansk.
On Monday the US announced new sanctions on Russia over Moscow's actions in Ukraine.
The European Union is also imposing new sanctions on 15 people who will be named on Tuesday.
'Provocative' In a statement, Mr Shoigu said he had a "candid" hour-long phone call with his American counterpart.
Mr Shoigu stressed that US and Nato military activity in eastern Europe was accompanied by "provocative" statements about the need to "contain" Russia.
The US has sent 600 troops to Poland and the Baltic states. Washington says it has deployed the extra troops to reassure Nato allies.
Mr Shoigu announced that Russian troops had returned to their "permanent positions" after conducting military exercises on the border with Ukraine.
But he did not say whether the overall number of Russian troops deployed in the region - said to be around 40,000 - had been reduced.
The Pentagon said Mr Shoigu had given "assurances that Moscow has no plans to invade Ukraine".
It said Mr Hagel had warned that Russia's continued aggression would result in more diplomatic and economic pressure.
He also called on Moscow to help secure the release of the seven military observers linked to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe who were seized by pro-Russian gunmen in Sloviansk last week.
Some 40 people, including journalists, pro-Kiev activists and three members of Ukraine's security service are being held there.
The Russian ambassador to the OSCE, Andrei Kelin, earlier said Moscow was taking "steps" to secure the observers' release.
Journalist's ordeal The US and EU first imposed visa bans and asset freezes on a number of senior Russian officials and companies after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine last month.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Moscow's response would be "painful for Washington".
Among the individuals named are Igor Sechin, head of state oil giant Rosneft, and Alexei Pushkov, chairman of the committee of international affairs of Russia's lower house of parliament.
Gas producer Gazprom, whose chief executive was spared sanctions, warned in a statement on Tuesday that further measures could damage its business and the BBC's Daniel Sandford in Moscow says there is a sense of nervousness in Russia that sanctions may start to bite.
The US accused Russia of "doing nothing to meet the commitments it made" at a meeting with Ukraine, the US and EU in Geneva on 17 April, which it said had included refraining from violence or provocative acts.
Name | Position | Sanctioned by |
---|---|---|
Putin's 'inner circle' | ||
Gennady Timchenko |
Founder of Gunvor (oil and energy market trading) |
US |
Arkady Rotenberg and Boris Rotenberg |
Co-owners of SMP Bank and SGM Group |
US |
Yuri Kovalchuk |
Largest single shareholder of Bank Rossiya |
US |
Igor Sechin |
Head of Rosneft (petroleum company) |
US |
Government officials |
||
Sergei Ivanov |
Chief of staff for Presidential Executive Office |
US |
Vladimir Yakunin |
Chairman of Russian Railways |
US |
Vladimir Kozhin |
Head of administration |
US |
Viktor Ivanov |
Director of Federal Drug Control Service |
US |
Sergei Naryshkin |
Speaker of the lower house of parliament |
US and EU |
Vladislav Surkov |
Presidential aide and election adviser |
US and EU |
Dmitry Rogozin |
Deputy Prime Minister |
US and EU |
Sergei Glazyev |
Adviser on Ukraine policy |
US and EU |
Sergei Mironov |
Member of Russian Parliament |
US |
Dmitry Kozak |
Deputy Prime Minister |
US |
Sergei Chemezov |
Director of Rostec (state high-technologies division) |
US |
Others |
||
Bank Rossiya |
Russian bank |
US |
Dmitry Kiselyov |
State television news anchor |
EU |
Simon Ostrovsky said he was pulled out of his car at a checkpoint in Sloviansk.
"I was separated from my other colleagues and taken down into the basement, blindfolded. I had my hands tied behind my back. I was thrown on the floor and beaten up and held there for the next three days," he said.
But he said he was unable to confirm any of those involved were from Russia.
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