Russian armored vehicles are loaded onto railway platforms after the end of military exercises in South Russia.
Highlight
- Russia is set to invade Ukraine at 1 p.m. tomorrow, top US officials have been quoted as saying.
- The US rejected claims that Russia had withdrawn its troops from the Ukrainian border.
- Reports said the offensive is scheduled for February 16 with a massive missile strike and 200,000 troops.
The report, citing highly placed sources in the US government, said that Russia is ready to attack Ukraine at 1 am tomorrow. Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed earlier in the day that Russia had pulled back its troops from the Ukrainian border. US officials rejected the claims, and said the invasion is scheduled for February 16 with a massive missile blitz and 200,000 troops.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, speaking to reporters in Brussels, also dismissed claims of Russia’s withdrawal of troops. “We have not seen any de-escalation so far” by Russia on the borders with Ukraine, news agency BBC quoted him as saying.
Earlier in the day, Moscow said some military forces stationed near Ukraine were returning to their bases because of fears of aggression following the build-up of Russian forces around Ukrainian borders. The development followed Moscow’s statement on Monday that it was ready to keep diplomatic channels open with the West on the matter.
Read also | Russia-Ukraine conflict: what Moscow wants, the interests of the West | Explained
The US and its NATO allies have repeatedly warned that Russia will pay a high price for any aggression – but they have sometimes struggled to present a united front.
Russia has repeatedly dismissed Ukrainian and Western concerns about military build-up, saying it has the right to deploy troops wherever needed on its territory. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday accused Ukraine of strengthening its forces in eastern Ukraine near areas controlled by Russia-backed rebels.
Read also | Moscow says some troops deployed near Ukraine’s border are returning to bases
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