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"Rapidly increasing offensive abilities". Kiev estimates the number of Russian soldiers on the border

The Russian army returns to bases after maneuvers in Crimea. Photo:TWD

 

The World Daily | News Desk           MAY  19th   2021

 

Russia still maintains around 80,000 soldiers near the Ukrainian border, said Ruslan Khomchak, Chief of the General Staff of Ukraine. He said that the "Zapad -2021" joint strategic exercises of the armed forces of Russia and Belarus, planned for September, are also a potential threat to the country.

 

“Despite the Russian defence minister's statement that troops will return to permanent deployment sites, Russia still maintains around 80,000 soldiers and a significant number of weapons and military equipment near various parts of the border with Ukraine,” said Khomchak, who participated in Tuesday's meeting of the NATO Military Committee.

“According to our estimates, this allows Russia to quickly increase the offensive capacity of the armed forces to conduct operations against Ukraine,” added the Chief of the General Staff, recalling that “there are still ships and boats in the Azov-Black Sea region, strengthening the group of the Russian Northern Fleet and the Caspian Flotilla.”

According to Khomchak, the "Zapad-2021" joint strategic exercises of the armed forces of Russia and Belarus, planned for September (this year), are a potential threat to Ukraine.

 

Since March this year, Ukraine and Western countries have spoken of an unprecedented increase in Russian military presence near Ukraine's eastern borders, as well as in the occupied Crimea, the Black Sea and the Sea of ​​Azov. Moscow argued that the movement of Russian troops on Russian territory should not cause concern to other countries.

At the end of April, Russian troops exercised in the annexed Crimea with the participation of the head of the defence department, Sergei Shoigu. The minister said at the time that he "considered the goals set for the army during the unannounced readiness test to be fully achieved." Shoygu also announced that the troops of the Southern and Western districts participating in the manoeuvres would return to their bases.

Ukrainian intelligence reported after the end of the Russian manoeuvres that Russian troops had been partially withdrawn.

 

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