Kiev is confident that the Russian Armed Forces are in the final stages of readiness for a possible start of hostilities. This was reported on February 4 by the American newspaper The New York Times, referring to the Ukrainian military and the conclusions of analysts.
The publication notes that at present the Russian group is not yet fully prepared for a full-scale "invasion" of Ukraine. However, a number of units have already increased their combat readiness to the maximum and are fully prepared to attack if Moscow gives such an order.
Most of all, the Ukrainian military is worried about the redeployment of Russian troops to Crimea. In the last two weeks alone, an additional 10 servicemen of the RF Armed Forces have been deployed there, which is confirmed by fresh satellite images.
Final preparations are being recorded along the entire Russian-Ukrainian border: the arrival of hospitals and communications units, a radar station to jam enemy communications and other related services. In Kiev, they still cannot understand what the true (ultimate) goal of Moscow is. However, they suspect that the Russian Federation is doing everything possible to make Ukraine and the West scared and panicked.
A huge number of Russian troops are still on the way, moving in a westerly direction. Even units are being transferred to the Ukrainian border Rosguards. The formation of landing craft of the Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy "lost" in the Black Sea and can not leave it, returning to its place of permanent deployment. In addition, large landing ships of the Northern and Baltic fleets have been sent to the Mediterranean Sea, and Ukraine cannot adequately respond to this.
Analysts think that the RF Armed Forces will finish preparing for the “invasion” within a few weeks. At the same time, according to Philip Breedlove, the former commander-in-chief of NATO forces in Europe, the Russians lack supply lines and other materialtechnical infrastructure.
You've seen pictures of trucks lined up. This is not a tactical or offensive formation. It's formation for the show
Breedlove said.
In turn, an expert from the non-profit organization RAND, Dara Massicot, drew attention to the fact that "Russians are acting methodically, as in a textbook." She is afraid that pessimistic forecasts are coming true.
The publication clarified that the Russian Federation pulled the Iskander OTRK to the Ukrainian border. But Kiev does not believe that Moscow will be able to support an offensive in several directions at once for more than a week. The Russians will not have enough fuel, ammunition, food and other necessary supplies. In addition, the Russian Federation does not have enough reserve forces. Therefore, one main blow will be delivered, and all the rest will be auxiliary.
In Kiev, they are trying to guess the direction of this blow. At the same time, the United States is convinced that Russia, having concentrated about 130 troops on the border with Ukraine, can go on a provocation in the Donbass, using this as a pretext for starting a war, summed up the media.