Russia has gathered about 70% of military capacity required for a large-scale invasion of Ukraine in the coming weeks, US security officials told Reuters.
U.S. officials have warned that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could kill up to 50,000 civilians. They also estimated that in a Russian attack Kiev could fall within two days, and cause a refugee crisis in Europe, as well as millions of people will flee.
The ground is expected to freeze and harden by mid-February, allowing Moscow to bring more heavy equipment, officials said on condition of anonymity. The two US officials told the news agency that the weather conditions would provide a “window” for Russia to transport equipment wholesale from February 15 to the end of March.
Moscow seems to have gathered more than 100,000 soldiers near the border with Ukraine, but denies planning an attack. U.S. officials have not commented on the allegations. They said the information was based on intelligence gathering, but could not provide details due to their sensitivity.
U.S. officials, however, said they did not know if Russian President Vladimir Putin was planning to invade Ukraine, adding that a diplomatic solution was still possible.
Additional US troops have arrived in Poland as part of a new development to bolster the Western military alliance’s NATO forces in the region. The first group landed in the southeast of the country on Saturday. The Biden government announced a few days ago that it would send nearly 3,000 additional troops to Eastern Europe.
Moscow says its troops are in the area for military exercises, but Ukraine and its Western allies remain concerned that the Kremlin plans to launch an attack.
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