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They're still shooting at nothing: maneuvers and preparations for war on both sides of the Ukrainian border

2022-02-17T20:43:44.875Z


Did Russia withdraw troops or not? NATO and the US government believe: no. They fear that Putin will create a pretext to invade Ukraine. Meanwhile, the armies practice.


AreaRead the video transcript expand here

They still shoot nowhere.

Russian rocket launchers are practicing in Belarus.

The Russian Ministry of Defense published these recordings on Thursday.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has reiterated his belief that this exercise will soon become war.

Joe Biden, US President:


"My feeling is that it will happen in the next few days."

Earlier this week, Russia announced it would withdraw some of the more than 100,000 troops it has built around Ukraine in recent weeks from military camps.

But neither NATO nor the US government trust this statement.

Joe Biden, US President:


“They didn't withdraw any of their troops, instead they deployed more soldiers there, first of all.

Second, we have reason to believe that they are staging a false flag reason to invade Ukraine.

Everything we're hearing indicates they're going to attack Ukraine."

The Russian government still describes the deployment of troops around Ukraine as an "exercise".

On Wednesday, the military released images purporting to show an alleged withdrawal.


Combat units from the south and west of Russia have completed their part of the exercise and are on their way back to their home barracks.

But they are close to the Ukrainian border anyway.

Soldiers and equipment, some of which had been relocated to the west from a distance of 10,000 kilometers, remain in the maneuver area, even according to official Russian information.

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General:


»They have enough troops and the military capabilities to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

With very little or no warning time.

That's what makes the situation so dangerous.«

On Thursday, the defense ministers of the NATO countries discussed how to deal with the crisis in Eastern Europe.

Secretary General Stoltenberg then made a request to Russia.

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General:


»There must be a significant withdrawal of troops.

A major de-escalation.

We're waiting for that.

So far we don't see that.

But that can change.«

NATO has also further strengthened its presence west of Ukraine.

Bundeswehr units reached Lithuania, US soldiers landed in Slovakia, and Spain relocated fighter jets to Bulgaria.

And also the Ukrainian army published new material from combat exercises.

They still shoot nowhere.

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2022-02-17

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