Under the title "Unprecedented Military Buildup of Russian Forces at the Ukraine Border," Sky News reported on the Russian military presence at the Ukrainian border. A spokesperson for the Pentagon described the Russian military reinforcements along the border with Ukraine on Monday as "seriously concerning." Pentagon spokesman John Kirby stated that the Russian military buildup is greater than it was in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea.
While European Union Foreign Minister Josep Borrell identified the number of Russian soldiers amassed near the border with Ukraine and Crimea as over 150,000, Kirby refrained from providing a specific number. During a press conference, Kirby emphasized, "This is certainly the largest military buildup we have seen since 2014 when it led to the violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity." He added, "I will not get into specifying numbers or formations of troops regarding Russian reinforcements," according to AFP.
Kirby continued, stating, "We continue to observe this buildup, and it has been, as before, a serious concern for us," noting that it "does not help maintain security and stability along the border with Ukraine, certainly not in occupied Crimea." He pointed out, "We have certainly heard Russians declare that this is all about training," indicating that "it is not entirely clear to us that this is exactly the objective."
Tensions with Moscow have escalated as a Ukrainian soldier was killed and another injured in confrontations with Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, where such incidents have increased against the backdrop of renewed tensions with Moscow, as reported by the Ukrainian military on Monday. Ukraine fears that the Kremlin, which is the military and political backer of the Russia-aligned separatists in the eastern Donbas region, may be seeking a pretext for an attack, while Moscow has stated that it "does not threaten anyone," but condemned what it describes as "Ukrainian provocations."
