Russian forces are at 70% of the level necessary for an eventual invasion of Ukraine

Russia it has about 70% of the combat power it thinks it would need for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and is sending more battalion task forces to the border with its neighbor, two US officials said on Saturday.

In the past two weeks, the number of battalion tactical groups (BTGs) in the border region has risen to 83 from 60 as of Friday, with 14 more in transit, the officials told Reuters on condition of anonymity due to sensitivity. of the information.

• Stoltenberg thanks Macron for his stance on Russia before meeting Putin
• The first US troops arrive in Poland to reinforce NATO
• Ukrainian soldiers train for combat with Russia in a Chernobyl ghost town

As for the timing of an invasion, the ground is expected to peak around Feb. 15, officials said, allowing for off-road mechanized transit of Russian military units. These conditions would continue until the end of March.

This deadline and the growing number and capacity of Russian forces near Ukraine could suggest that the window for diplomacy is closing.

US officials provided no evidence to support their estimates of Russian forces.

As Russia masses more than 100,000 troops near the border, it has said it is not planning an invasion but could take unspecified military action if its security demands are not met. Among them is a promise that NATO will never admit Ukraine, a demand that Washington and NATO have said is unacceptable.

Washington believes Russia may choose options other than a full-scale invasion, including a limited incursion, and does not believe President Vladimir Putin has made a final decision, the officials said.

But they said that Putin is setting up a force that can execute all scenarios.

If Russia were to invade the capital of Kiev, it could fall within a couple of days, US officials said.

A full-scale invasion would cause heavy casualties, one of the officials said.

Ukraine could suffer between 5,000 and 25,000 troop casualties, while Russian troop casualties could be between 3,000 and 10,000, and civilian casualties could range between 25,000 and 50,000, according to US estimates, the official said.

• The threats of anti-vaccines to a COVID-19 patient who they accuse of being an actor who faked the disease
• He was kidnapped at 16 and released at 58: the story of the man who spent his entire life in captivity
• Jacinda Ardern postpones her wedding due to coronavirus outbreak in New Zealand
• Woman refused to wear a mask on Miami-London flight; the pilot’s response will surprise you
• They run over a reporter in full live broadcast: “my whole life passed before my eyes”

Source: Elcomercio

Deshawn