NUMBER OF RUSSIAN TROOPS AROUND UKRAINE REACHES 149,000: KYIV

Fri 18 February 2022:

According to Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, the number of Russian military bases surrounding Ukraine has increased to 149,000.

“We are watching the divisions of the Russian troops, which number 129,000. And put together with naval and air components, this figure reaches 149,000,” Oleksiy Reznikov told parliament.

Meanwhile, amid Western fears that Moscow is planning an invasion of Ukraine, the Russian military launched large-scale strategic force drills on Friday, a stark reminder of the country’s nuclear power.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian President Vladimir Putin will personally observe Saturday’s drill, which will include multiple mock launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.

According to the ministry, the operations were planned a long time ago to assess the readiness of the military command and personnel, as well as the reliability of Russia’s nuclear and conventional weapons.

The drills follow US Vice President Joe Biden’s warning on Thursday that Russia could attack Ukraine within days.

Western concerns centre on an estimated 150,000 Russian troops stationed near Ukraine’s borders, accounting for around 60% of Russia’s total field forces.

The Kremlin maintains that no invasion is planned.

Moscow, on the other hand, has asked the US and its allies to keep Ukraine and other former Soviet republics out of NATO, refrain from deploying military hardware in Ukraine, and withdraw NATO forces from Eastern Europe.

If the West continues to stall, Moscow has threatened to use unspecified “military-technical measures.” The demands of Russia were flatly rejected by Washington and its allies.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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