While there isn’t enough Russian military strength to mount a total invasion of Ukraine, some sections have reached combat readiness, and the high command of the Ukrainian military believes that it is in the final stages of preparation for military action should the Kremlin order it.
Russian forces seized the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. Ukrainian officials are worried about this involvement. Russian troops have been increased by 10,000 in that region, including infantry and airborne troops.
In addition to recent moves to bolster forces near two Kremlin-backed separatist enclaves in Ukraine, the deployments indicate that Russia is nearing complete readiness to launch military operations along about 800 miles of the country’s eastern and southern borders.
Approximately 130,000 Russian troops are amassed near Ukraine’s border, according to US and Ukrainian officials. The Kremlin has said repeatedly it has no plans to attack.