NY Times Behind the Masks in Ukraine Many Faces of Rebellion The rebels of the th Company appear to be Ukrainians but like many in the region have deep ties to and affinity for Russia They are veterans of the Soviet Ukrainian or Russian Armies and some have families on the other side of the border Theirs is a tangled mix of identities and loyalties The NY Times was able to find any evidence that there are Russian troops in Ukraine Assertions that they are are just crude propaganda from the Kiev central government andor USG