Russia threatens: 3,000 Russian troops to monitor hundreds of tanks and artillery shells participated today (Tuesday) in a live-fire exercise in the west of the country, near the Ukrainian border where Moscow is concentrating more than 100,000 troops in preparation for the possibility of a conflict in eastern Ukraine.
According to the Interfax news agency, the exercise takes place in the Smolensk region and includes 3,000 tanks and a similar number of artillery barrels.
Also participating in the exercise are systems for launching missiles, armored vehicles and helicopters of the Russian Air Force.
Ukraine has reacted vigorously to the exercise, fearing imminent Russian military action in the east of the country.
Russia has been backing for more than seven years a pro-Russian separatist uprising in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine.
Despite attempts to bring about a ceasefire, fighting in eastern Ukraine has continued at a low intensity since the crisis began in 2014.
Rocket launch during Russian military exercises, Photo: EPI
The Ministry of Defense in Moscow announced the exercise less than a day after a meeting of representatives of Russia and the United States to discuss Russia's demands as part of negotiations to reduce tensions on the Ukrainian border.
The Kremlin argued after the talks that there was no room for optimism regarding a breakthrough in the talks.
Representatives from 30 NATO countries are expected to meet tomorrow with Moscow's representatives for the second of three talks in Brussels, the capital of Belgium. US Ambassador to NATO, Julian Smith, said ahead of the talks: Our allies are committed to dialogue with Russia.
At the same time, the Allies are united in their message to the Russians that a decision to invade Ukraine will have huge consequences from the NATO alliance and the European Union.
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