The strain in ukraine
war of nerves as us calls putin’s bluff
FEARS of an all-out war in East Ukraine ramped up yesterday after Russia warned America to stay away from the region: “For their own good.”
Deputy foreign minister Sergei Rabyov made his aggressive demand as two US destroyers raced towards the flashpoint region.
USS Donald Cook and USS Roosevelt are due to arrive in the Black Sea today. Ten Russian warships will arrive there in days.
Rabyov accused the US of “provocation” to test Moscow’s “nerves”.
But, in a call to Russian leader Vladimir Putin yesterday, US President Joe Biden voiced concern about a huge Russian military build-up, of close to 100,000 troops, in Crimea and on Ukraine’s borders.
The White House said he also stressed America’s “unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity” and called for a summit meeting.
BOMBS
NATO chief Jens Stoltenburg also pledged the alliance’s “unwavering” support for the government in Kyiv.
As the war of words takes the border to a knife edge, the Irish Mirror can reveal Russian-backed forces have dumped illegal “Butterfly Bombs” in East Ukraine.
The devices were placed near Donestk, where Russian separatists are fighting domestic troops.
As many as 14,000 people have been killed in battles since Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.
British and American assessments have logged the situation as reaching “crisis point”.
Ukraine and its allies are trying to track GRU intelligence operatives, working undercover in East Ukraine and stirring up support for Russia.
Six RAF Typhoon jets are bolstering Ukraine’s forces. And a small number of British and US special forces are monitoring the situation. A British military source said: “Russia is either playing a huge and extremely expensive bluff to disrupt the region and muscle flex – or it intends to invade.
“If it does it will find Ukraine is now very well defended by professional, determined forces.”