US Army 101st Airborne Forces Ready to Enter Ukraine |
Washington - The US Army's 101st Airborne Division is poised to enter Ukraine in the event of further tensions between Moscow and Kiev or an attack on a NATO member state. "We are prepared to defend every inch of NATO land," said Deputy Division Commander, Brigadier General John Lubas, as reported by CBS News, quoted from TASS, Saturday (10/22/2022).
The Commander of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, Colonel Edwin Matthaidess, noted that his troops, which were deployed to Romania, had been "closely observing" Russian troops. According to Matthaidess, his troops set out to train against and conduct exercises that "exactly mimic what is going on" in war.
CBS also reported that, in all, about 4,700 troops from Air Base 101 at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, had been deployed to reinforce NATO's eastern wing. "Commanders have told CBS News repeatedly that they are always 'ready to fight tonight', and while they are there defending NATO territory," the report said.
"If fighting escalates or there is an attack on NATO, they are fully prepared to cross the border into Ukraine," the media added. On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation at the request of the head of the Donbass republic.
In response, the West imposed heavy sanctions on Russia. In addition, Western countries began to provide weapons and military equipment to Kiev, the total value of which is currently estimated at billions of dollars. However, US President Joe Biden has repeatedly stated that he has no plans to send US troops to Ukraine.