As reports circulated Thursday of Russian troops on the outskirts of Ukraine's capital Kyiv, a Moscow-based journalist denied that a military invasion was taking place in a shocking interview with i24NEWS that seemed to contradict the facts on the ground.
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"There has not been any proof of troops going into Ukraine," journalist Tatiana Kukhareva said to anchor Jeff Smith.
She said that the "operation cannot be classified as an invasion because there are no troops on the ground," toeing the Russian's government line that only military infrastructure was being targeted in precision strikes.
Smith pressed Kukhareva on why she said it is not an invasion, saying that she "can't be serious."
She fired back by asking Smith if he knew the definition of an invasion, with Smith saying that he wasn't playing games.
Smith continued to press the journalist to explain her stance.
Kukhareva again repeated that no proof has been provided of Russian troops in Ukraine.
This article was first published by i24NEWS.
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