“It is still unclear about Russia’s intentions and we do not know what will happen. However, we know that in and around Ukraine, Russia has mobilized the greatest forces that Europe has not experienced in decades.
We also know that there are many Russian intelligence officers in Ukraine and the Donbass region who are trying to conduct operations under a foreign flag, ”says Stoltenberg.
“I cannot go into detail about the various reports, but that is why we are watching this very closely. And that is why NATO Allies have shed light on Russia’s plans and actions, especially in the area of disinformation. We believe that this will make their activities more difficult, will make it more difficult to invade Ukraine. “
Russia’s statements do not inspire confidence
NATO warns that Russia could use a so-called “fake flag attack” to justify the use of force against Ukraine. A false flag attack is when one party organizes or invents an attack on itself to justify the use of force for revenge.
NATO warns of possible provocations by Russia
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For several days now, Russia has been publicly claiming to be withdrawing troops from the Ukrainian border that have ceased to participate in joint military exercises with Belarus. However, these allegations are still out of the question in the West, which continues to demand real evidence of such actions.
U.S. intelligence shows the opposite has happened in the last 48 hours, with 7,000 Russian troops on the border and Russia replenishing blood in border hospitals on the border. That is not the case if the maneuvers are to end soon, says US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
“We see some units approaching the border, we see more fighting and support planes flying there, we see them stepping up their readiness in the Black Sea. We even see them replenishing their blood supply,” Austin says.
“I’ve been a soldier myself and I know you don’t do things like that for no reason. And you definitely don’t do that if you’re going to pack up and go home.”
On Thursday, the situation in eastern Ukraine once again worsened, with militants in the occupied territories shooting at Ukrainian territory and injuring at least four Ukrainians. Such shootings have been strongly condemned and calls for continued diplomatic talks to stabilize the situation.
A kindergarten has also suffered in the shooting
In a few hours, more than 40 fires have been fired in the eastern part of Ukraine near the border with the temporarily occupied territories. Militants of the so-called self-proclaimed republics have fired mortar shells at Ukraine, one of which hit a kindergarten at another station in Luhansk, another landed in the yard of a lyceum, only a few tens of meters without flying to the school building.
According to the representatives of the self-proclaimed republics, the opposite is actively reported in the Russian media – namely, the intense firing was started by the Ukrainian forces in preparation for a wider attack.
Firings have taken place in eastern Ukraine2min —
Following the shootings, the Ukrainian delegation called on a representative of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in the Tripartite Contact Group to convene an emergency meeting on security issues without delay. The Ukrainian side also demands that the representatives of the Normandy format countries be actively involved in various monitoring activities and prevent a recurrence. However, the President of the European Commission (EC), Urzula von der Leiena, has expressed confidence that diplomacy has not yet had its last word. She also welcomed the efforts of the Member States of the European Union to reduce tensions. “We hear Russian allegations of withdrawal, but we have not seen any confirmation of de-escalation on the ground. On the contrary, we are seeing an increase in the presence of forces. That is why we need these words to be confirmed by deeds. We will not lose attention, we will remain vigilant and united, ”the President of the European Commission emphasizes. “These days, I have been in active contact with many of our partners, both on the issue of Russian aggression and on our readiness. We are ready! We hope for the best, but we are also ready for the worst. ” The current crisis is also being discussed in the UN Security Council on Thursday. Prior to the meeting, the US ambassador to the United Nations warned that Russia was preparing for an imminent invasion, and this was later confirmed by US President Joe Biden, who believes that the invasion could start in the coming days. CONTEXT: Last year, Russia began pulling a contingent of troops off the Ukrainian border, raising concerns about a new invasion of a neighboring country. In December, Moscow issued an ultimatum to the West demanding a halt further enlargement of NATO to the east. Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened that if Moscow does not receive his requests “security guarantees”he will have to implement “military technical measures”. The United States and other NATO members have stated that these demands are unacceptable and not even negotiable, but have shown readiness to talk about arms control, missile deployment and confidence-building measures. US President Joe Biden has warned Putin that the US will impose unprecedented sanctions on Russia if it attacks Ukraine. A number of countries called for leave its citizens in Ukraine after the United States warned that a new Russian military invasion of Ukraine could begin soon. At the same time, Western countries are continuing diplomatic efforts to prevent a Russian attack on Ukraine. Russia announced on February 15 the withdrawal of troops from the border, but the West it is treated with caution. –We hope for the best, we will be ready for the worst
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