The total number of Russian troops around the borders of Ukraine is already about 147 thousand people, Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said during a briefing on February 21..

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Reznikov stressed that Russian troops, as predicted, do not leave the territory of Belarus after the Allied Resolve-2022 military exercises, which were supposed to end on February 20.

" We predicted that Russian troops would not leave Belarus after their exercises, because they were brought from the Far East for several weeks, obviously not in order to train for ten days and return back,"

In addition, Russia suddenly began military exercises in Transnistria, which, according to Reznikov, did not come as a surprise to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry..

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According to the Maxar satellite, over the past few days, Russian military units have become more active near the northeastern border of Ukraine, and units in garrisons have taken up field positions.. The deployment of armored vehicles and troops was recorded northwest of Belgrade and near Solotov and Valuyki, which are located about 35 kilometers from the border with Ukraine.

On February 18, US President Joe Biden said he was sure that the Russian Federation was ready to attack Ukraine in the coming days..

However, Biden does not rule out a diplomatic chance to resolve the situation..

Actively discussing the timing, methods and goals of Russia's military operation against Ukraine, experts and politicians for the most part miss one aspect: for the first time in the history of mankind, a full-scale war can unfold on the territory of a country stuffed with nuclear, chemical and oil and gas facilities.. What consequences military actions may have for Ukraine, Europe and the world - read in Dmitry Mendeleev's article "