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| In this photo taken from video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, Feb. 18, 2022, Russian army tanks are loaded onto railway platforms to move back to their permanent base after drills in Russia. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP) |
International Military - Russia has placed 50 of its ground combat units on the Ukrainian border, the British Ministry of Defense (MOD) said Thursday."This is the largest gathering of Russian colors since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991,"the MOD said in an instructional bulletin posted to Twitter.
"This scale is far beyond what's needed for a large-scale exercise."The MOD doesn't specify which ground combat units have been posted on the border. The ministry didn't incontinently respond to Insider's request for comment.
Russia has amassed as numerous as colors near the Ukrainian border since late November, with President Joe Biden advising Thursday that the chances of a full-scale irruption were" veritably high."
Russia on Tuesday blazoned that it was withdrawing some colors from the Ukrainian border after military exercises.
The US, NATO, Britain and Ukraine have denied the claims, saying Russia, on the other hand, is adding its military presence. “ They'ven't moved their colors. They have moved more colors,"Biden said Tuesday.
The Russian defense also blazoned plans to hold a bullet test launch on Saturday. The exact position of the launch is unclear.
In a speech to the United Nations Security Council on Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he anticipated Russia to make a" rationale for its attack"before attacking Ukraine. This could be an" event of violence"Russia condemning Ukraine or a Russian- position"outrageous blameworthiness"against Kyiv, he said.
Britain has jumped into the Ukrainian defenses during the current stalemate, transferring ordnance and aid.
"We're planting colors and means on land, ocean and air to strengthen Europe's defenses in response to the buildup of Russian military forces on the Ukrainian border,"British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said Thursday."NATO and our abettors have made it clear that an irruption of Ukraine will face severe consequences. De-escalation and tactfulness remain the only way out of this situation."
Despite the military buildup, Russia claims there's still time for a politic result to the extremity. The State Department said Thursday that Blinken accepted an assignation to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Europe coming week, as long as Russia doesn't attack Ukraine.