Tens of thousands of Russian men and equipment are massed on the southern, eastern and northern borders of Ukraine. US intelligence believes Russia is stepping up preparations for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It would already have 70% of the device necessary for such an operation.
Will Russia launch a military operation against Ukraine ? The question has been on everyone’s lips for weeks.
The warnings taken up by several American media come from unidentified intelligence officials who informed the elected members of the American Congress and the European partners of the United States. The Russian army continues to be reinforced on the borders of Ukraine: if two weeks ago, there were 60 army battalions, there are now more than 80 and a dozen others are still on the way.
Tens of thousands of men
Each of these battalions has 750 soldiers. At this rate, Russia could have sufficient capabilities to launch an offensive in two weeks, according to these American officials. However, they specify that they do not know if Vladimir Putin has made the decision to go on the offensive or not.
Whatever Moscow’s intentions, military observers do note a reinforcement of Russian troops on the ground. One thousand five hundred Russian special forces troops arrived in the area a week ago. A team from France Télévisions filmed troop and fuel transport vehicles in the Bryansk region, not far from the border with Ukraine and Belarus. On this video and on others, experts note the presence of the Russian National Guard, the internal military force, generally not requested for this kind of operation.
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However, said Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to the head of the Ukrainian presidential administration shortly after the warnings from Washington, the chances of finding a diplomatic solution for a de-escalation are considerably greater than the threat of further escalation “.