US RUSSIA
The US alleges that Russia is preparing to release a propaganda video to “fabricate a pretext for an invasion”. This contains a “very graphic propaganda video” showing Ukraine attacking Russia.
Russia continues to build up forces along the Ukraine border. This allegation is the latest of “intelligence” data suggesting Russia’s plan to invade. Pentagon suggests that Russia “is planning to stage a fake attack by Ukrainian military or intelligence forces against Russian sovereign territory or against Russian-speaking people”. This is to create a rationale for Russia’s invasion.
Press secretary John Kirby added, “As part of this fake attack, we believe that Russia would produce a very graphic propaganda video which would include corpses and actors that would be depicting mourners and images of destroyed locations, as well as military equipment at the hands of Ukraine or the West, even to the point where some of this equipment would be made to look like it was Western supplied … to Ukraine equipment.”
This same week, President Vladimir Putin said that the US is “hyping” the situation. In the same speech, he claims that the US government and media are pushing them towards armed conflict. The Russian president also said the US is ignoring their primary concerns.
Artillery
The US Ambassador to the UN claims that Russia had moved nearly 5,000 troops into Belarus. This includes short-range ballistic missiles, special forces, and anti-aircraft batteries. It is also with the intention of massing more than 30,000 troops near the Ukraine border.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said this is the biggest Russian deployment they have seen since the cold war. The deployment contains “an expected 30,000 combat troops, Spetsnaz special operation forces, fighter jets including SU-35, Iskander dual-capable missiles and S-400 air defense systems.”
According to the data and intelligence reports, Russia might not need to cross the border to attack. Their missile systems are capable of reaching Kyiv from Belarus. Russia already has about 100,000 troops stationed at the border.