Russia is said to have held sniper drills. It also reportedly sent two missile systems with short ranges to the Ukrainian border, amid warnings about a potential war.
Video shows Putin’s army carrying out shooting exercises in the Rostov region bordering Ukraine on Monday, with up to 100,000 stationed on the border.
Other footage shows the alleged transfer of two deadly mobile short-range ballistic missile systems 9K720 Iskander thousands of miles across Russia towards the conflict zone.
This is in the midst of warnings by the West about war being ‘inevitable’ and ‘imminent’. A leading Russian newspaper, Moskovsky Komsomolets, stated that Putin had ‘raised game’s stakes to the point that bluffing was no longer an option.
Russia demanded that Ukraine not join NATO and has gathered tanks and artillery near its border.
On Monday, Putin’s Army was seen shooting in Rostov Region bordering Ukraine.
The video was filmed in Sverdlovsk, January 13. It allegedly shows Iskanders shifting to the West.
According to Ukrainian military intelligence, leaking ammonia from a chemical plant at the rebel-held Horlivka could be a pretext for accusing Kyiv of chemical weapons attacks and as an irritant for invading.
Ukraine’s Defence ministry said in a statement: ‘According to the military intelligence of Ukraine, on January 14, containers with ammonia were delivered to Horlivka, occupied by Russian troops, (specifically) to PJSC Stirol Concern’.
However, there’s a potential leak in the atmosphere. This, according to the intelligence directorate at the ministry. It could lead to an “environmental catastrophe” in the eastern part of Ukraine.
According to the military intelligence directorate, “The Russian occupation forces’ man-made catastrophe could be used by Ukraine to accuse it of using poisonous chemicals as well as for pretexts for expanding our armed aggression against the state.”
Kadamovsky Training Ground, located 37 miles away from the Ukraine border hosted 100 soldiers in sniper drills.
The drills were conducted by special forces from the Western military District, bordering Ukraine. They used Arbalet-2 parachute systems and Malva guided parachute systems in Tambov.
It follows live tank fire training at Mulino, Nizhny Novgorod Region. This is at a moment when Putin is said to be having 100,000 troops and heavy military gear close to Russia’s border with Ukraine.
This special tactical exercise involved over 300 soldiers.
Russian soldiers from the west military district participate in tank ambush drill
Russian troops in the west military region engage in ambush drills for tanks
Crews of T72B3 tanks from Voronezh, which border Ukraine, were trained in the’skills of night driving combat vehicle in heavy snowfall and in a blizzard at Krinitsa training grounds’.
Conflict Intelligence Team, a Russian monitoring group, has analysed TikTok videos and found that Iskander missiles were seen moving between Ulan-dUe, Siberia, and Birobidzhan (a Russian town).
They claim that the equipment is heading west to Ukraine. Moscow has rejected the transport of missiles.
Russia repeatedly denies any intent to invade Ukraine and insists it is entitled to transport military equipment and soldiers on its territory.
Last week, an exercise was held to move military equipment eastwards of Russia.
Citing OSCE Monitoring evidence, Ukraine claimed that 99 Russian-made military equipment was found in rebel-held Donetsk/Luhansk.
Three multiple-launch rocket systems were included in this arrangement.
Launch of ballistic missile Iskander M from Kapustin Yar landfill (Astrakhan), pictured 2019
Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov declared at the weekend, “There is a crisis here.” Russia’s national and security concerns are the critical factors in this situation.
He claimed that nobody was threatening anybody with military actions, which would amount to’madness.’ But he also added that:“E will be prepared to accept counteractions.
This week, senior Western and Russian officials met for three rounds in Geneva. They did not reach an agreement to ease tensions.
Washington warned Moscow that Moscow might stage a false Flag operation in order to provoke an invasion within weeks.
Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, stated Sunday that Washington will decide its next steps after consulting its partners over the course of the crisis.
Sullivan said to CBS, “But the main point is that we are prepared either way.”
We are ready and willing to work with allies and our partners if Russia is determined to make progress in diplomacy.
“If Russia wishes to follow the path of invasion and escalation we are ready with a strong response.”
Russian troops in the western military region engage in ambush drills for tanks
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg called Russia again to de-escalate on Sunday. He added that “we are willing to sit down, and also listen to them concerns”.
Putin’s spokesperson Peskov stated that Russia and the West had’some understandings’.
“But, generally, in principle we can now say we’re staying on completely different tracks. It isn’t good. CNN reported that he found this disturbing.
Dmytro Kuleba, Ukrainian Foreign Minister, stated that Kyiv was working with its Western partners to create a comprehensive ‘package of measures to contain Russia’. This would include new sanctions as well as moves to increase defense cooperation with the West.
In remarks made by the foreign ministry, Putin stated that if Putin is interested in understanding why NATO members are looking to become NATO members, he should only look into the mirror.