(UnitedVoice.com) – In 2014, Russia annexed (aka ‘took’) Crimea from Ukraine. There was international outrage over President Vladimir Putin’s power move, but he didn’t back down. Fast forward seven years and Russia’s actions are once again raising eyebrows.
On November 2, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense released a statement saying Russia has 90,000 troops stationed near its border. The ministry claims the Russian Armed Forces Command carried out a series of military exercises along the border between the two countries. After the drills ended, Putin’s military remained about 161 miles (260 kilometers) away.
The statement accused Russia of periodically putting military units on the border to allegedly “maintain tensions in the region and political pressure on neighboring nations.”
Russian troops now number 90,000 near Ukraine border after drills, Kyiv says https://t.co/0YoLeztlzt
— EndGameWW3 🇺🇸 (@EndGameWW3) November 3, 2021
The recent deployment isn’t the first time Russia has placed troops along the border. Earlier this year, it deployed 100,000 soldiers, but Putin ended that in May.
The alleged aggression by the Russian military raises concerns because of its continued occupation of Crimea. There’s a worry that Putin might try to annex even more land from Ukraine. Michael Kofman, director for the Russia studies program for the nonprofit CNA, told the Washington Post that the build-up of troops and equipment placement doesn’t look like a drill. “Something is happening. What is it?” he asserted. That’s a question many would like the answer to.
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