Russians Move Beyond Crimea, Plant Mines, Ukrainians Say

Apparent Russian troops moved north of the Crimean border and into Ukraine proper last week, locals told Fox News. Residents of Chonhar, a small village just north of the peninsula, say the troops showed up last week before being driven out and may have planted landmines.

The Russian troops refused to say who they were when confronted by Chonhar residents, continuing the bizarre denial policy of Russia. Ukrainian troops showed up and there was a standoff. The Russians pulled back across the border and set up a checkpoint along one of Crimea's major roadways to the regional capital, Simferopol, according to the report.

The governor of Kherson province, where Chonhar is located, says Ukrainian forces are back in control and are there to "provide security for the residents of the region and the Ukrainian state."

Mashable has published photos from around Chonhar that show what appears to be a Russian anti-tank minefield dug outside the village of 1,500. Anti-personnel landmines are banned by the United Nations. Anti-vehicle mines are not, but are highly discouraged.

Meanwhile, the U.S. moved a the U.S.S. Truxton, a destroyer into the Black Sea and will take part in exercises with Bulgarian and Romanian warships. The U.S. agreed to send 16 fighter aircraft and over 300 men to Poland and the Baltic states over the weekend.

There are reports that Russia has deployed anti-ship shoreside 'Bastion' missle systems in response to the Truxton deployment.

An activist was shot and wounded at a Crimean checkpoint in an attempt to bring supplies to Ukrainian troops besieged in their base by the Russians.