Boris Johnson held a video conference with Joe Biden and other EU leaders as
they warned the kremlin that any further aggression would be met by severe
costs. The prime minister warned the intelligence is very clear that there
are 60 russian battle groups on the borders of ukraine. The plan for a
lightning war that could take out Kiev is one that everybody can see.
"We need to make it very clear to the kremlin to Russia that that would be a
disastrous step."
Russia has however denied plans for military action despite a reported
100,000 military personnel amassed on the border.
Dmitry Peskov, vladimir putin spokesman accused the west of escalating
tensions by deploying more forces. Russia has repeatedly blamed the west for
the tense atmosphere and putin issued a fierce warning to other leaders last
year if a red line was crossed.
Russian troops, jet stage drills near Ukraine amid high tensions with west.
The russian military will stage large-scale exercises in its regions near
ukraine and in annexed crimea amid ongoing tensions at the border, news
agencies reported tuesday.
The defense ministry said 6,000 troops and 60 warplanes have been deployed
for so-called combat readiness drills stretching across three regions near
ukraine and in crimea, which Moscow seized from ukraine in 2014.
Squadrons of Su-27SM, Su-30SM-2 and Su-34 fighter jets will refine
interaction when performing missile strikes at a maximum distance, TASS
quoted the military is saying.
More than 500 southern military district soldiers will also maneuver to
proving grounds at a considerable distance from their points of permanent
deployment, according to Interfax.
Separately the russian navy's black sea fleet said T-72B3 battle tank crews
staged shooting drills at a crimean firing range. The announcements come two
weeks after 3000 russian troops and 300 tanks were deployed across several
regions bordering ukraine.
The US State Department criticized those exercises saying they go in exactly
the opposite direction of de-escalation. Russia also completed ten thousand
troop drills across southern regions that included crimea in late december.
Russia and its close ally Belarus are holding snap military drills with
advanced S-400 missile system batteries near Belarus western border with
nato members and its southern border with ukraine. Russia's active military
maneuvers in recent months come as western governments warn that it is
gearing up to invade its pro-western neighbor Ukraine with around 100,000
troops gathered on its borders.
The kremlin denies planning an invasion defending its right to move troops
within russian borders and accuses the united states and nato of increasing
tensions with their stepped-up military activities in response to russia's
actions.
While high-level talks between russia and the US, NATO and OSCE have failed
to quell tensions, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Foreign
Minister Sergey Lavrov agreed to continue talking at their meeting in Geneva
last week.
President Biden and russian president vladimir putin traded provocations
tuesday with the Kremlin broadcasting a new round of military exercises
within striking distance of Ukraine and Washington rushing a fresh shipment
of weapons to Kiev while suggesting thousands of u.s troops could be
deployed soon to shore up allies defenses in eastern Europe.
Officials on both sides accused the other of bringing europe closer to a
full-blown war and outcome Biden said would have enormous consequences
worldwide. "This would be the largest, invasion since world war ii, the
president told reporters in Washington. It would change the world.
Meanwhile a group of 30 warships of the northern fleet of the russian navy
was launched into the waters of the barents sea to conduct large-scale
military exercises.
According to the information and news agency Avia Pro in addition to 30
warships, more than 1200 military personnel, more than 20 aircraft and other
aircraft as well as over 140 units of various equipment are taking part in
the exercises. A detachment of warships and support vessels of the northern
fleet entered the Barrent Sea as part of the exercise with the arctic
expeditionary group of forces and troops.
The detachment includes the missile cruiser Marshall Eustinov, the frigate
admiral of the fleet Kassadinov, the large anti-submarine ship vice admiral
Kilikov, as well as support vessels, the press service of the northern fleet
reports.
At the moment the russian fleet and aviation are working out practical tasks
aimed at ensuring security near the russian borders.
At the same time the exercises quite frighten the western countries. This is
evidenced by the fact that norwegian military aviation and ships have
already begun to monitor the actions of the northern fleet of the russian
navy.
It should be noted that in the near future, NATO countries will also begin
to conduct their military exercises near the russian borders. In particular
it was previously reported that the United States and Great Britain intend
to send two aircraft carriers to the coast of Norway at once.
