Yesterday at 22:15
Russia has not taken its “foot off the gas” over a potential invasion and Ukraine and the UK hasn’t “seen evidence” of a withdrawal of forces, UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has warned in a comment for Sky News.
“In fact, we have seen continuing build-up and things like field hospitals and strategic weapon systems, missiles deployed,” Ben Wallace noted.
He insisted ‘we should be ‘cautious’ about the direction of travel from the Kremlin.
February 15, Russia said it was pulling back some of its troops from near Ukraine after a build-up raised fears of an invasion. Russian defence ministry said that large-scale drills continued but that some units were returning to their bases. There has been no independent confirmation of the withdrawal and international powers have reacted cautiously to the announcement.
Earlier, National security adviser Jake Sullivan said a full Russian invasion of Ukraine could come before the end of the Beijing Olympics on February 20, even as President Joe Biden today told his counterparts about Moscow’s forces possibly launching an incursion.
Tensions between Russia-Ukraine and the West escalated over the weekend after Western media reports claimed that Moscow could launch an attack on Ukraine on February 16. Moscow recently amassed 130,000 troops near Ukraine, prompting fears that the Kremlin could be planning another military offensive against Kyiv.
Russia now has 80% of the forces in place that would be needed to begin a full-scale invasion, compared to 70% exactly a week ago. The continuing buildup is one reason the Biden administration is now warning an invasion can come within days. Russia could invade Ukraine at any moment, British foreign minister Liz Truss said following a meeting of the government’s crisis response committee.
Russia has always denied it is planning an attack.
February 16, Ukraine celebrates ‘unity day’ – a day, when Russia may possibly invade.
