Tensions that have been building up between Russia and Ukraine have reached their critical level, and recently Russia has been accused of mounting an attack by positioning tanks and snipers opposite Ukrainian lines.
“Russia is sending tanks and snipers to the line of contact in war-torn eastern Ukraine to “provoke return fire,” an accusation that comes amid fears that a Russian troop buildup near the Ukrainian border might indicate plans for an invasion,” the Associated Press reported.
Since 2014, Russian troops and heavy weapons have been massing on the border between the two countries. These two countries have been locked in a bitter tug-of-war since then.
Excerpt from The Associated Press report related to this major conflict between Russia and Ukraine:
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry released the statement just hours before a long-anticipated video call between U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which the two leaders are expected to discuss tensions over Ukraine.
The ministry alleged in the statement that Russia is holding “training camps under the leadership of regular servicemen of the Russian Armed Forces” and “reinforcing units near the contact line … with additional 122-millimeter self-propelled artillery vehicles, tanks and infantry fighting vehicles,” as well as increasing the number of sniper teams in the area.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to comment on the allegations on Tuesday, redirecting questions to Russia’s Defense Ministry, which has not yet commented on the statement.
Tensions have reignited again this year amid reports of a Russian troop buildup near Ukraine’s border, which Ukrainian and Western officials feared could indicate Moscow’s plan to invade its ex-Soviet neighbor.
In a separate report, Moscow claims that it has positioned troops on the border precisely for this potential development, alleging that it has no intention of making an unprovoked attack.
However, Ukrainian Defense Ministry officials fear that the Russians are planning to invent a provocation that will justify a real invasion.
Read more of this story from Right Wing News Hour:
U.S. officials say that Russia might be ready to begin an invasion in early 2022. The massing of regular troops and heavy weaponry on the border is a new development in a conflict that has mostly seen the Russians providing more covert aid to separatists.
The Russian military has come a long way since the early days of the Russian Federation when it struggled to defeat the tiny rebel nation of Chechnya after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Under Putin, the Russians have returned to their former status as a very menacing presence threatening their Eastern European neighbors, particularly the Ukrainians.
In 2014 Russia conquered the Crimean Peninsula while Kiev was distracted by internal turmoil. If Putin is serious about starting another invasion before the Ukrainians get too close to NATO then his army will be ready for it.
While Russia undoubtedly has the stronger military, Ukrainian forces are likely to fight stubbornly against the Russians and they have had plenty of time to prepare for this contingency.
If Putin is really preparing to launch an invasion and put an end to the stalemate in Ukraine then the conflict has the potential to become very bloody very quickly.
Sources: Rightwingnewshour, APnews
