Russia will react "extremely harshly" to further attacks by fighters entering its territory from Ukraine, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Wednesday.
The Russian military said on Tuesday it had routed militants who attacked a Russian border region with armored vehicles the previous day, killing more than 70 "Ukrainian nationalists" and pushing the remainder back into Ukraine.
"We will continue to respond to such actions by Ukrainian militants promptly and extremely harshly," Shoigu told Defence Ministry officials, in remarks published by the ministry.