As Ukraine's president told an EU summit in Brussels that there were now "thousands" of Russian troops operating in his country, they had all but disappeared from view in the eastern town that has been the flashpoint for invasion claims.

Novoazovsk, not far from the border with Russia and miles away from other areas controlled by separatists, was captured by an armoured column on Wednesday evening that appeared to cross from Russia, and there were several reported sightings of similar "little green men" to those who appeared prior to the annexation of Crimea: well-equipped troops without insignia who appeared to be from elite Russian units immediately stood out from the ragtag fighters of the separatist militias.