The Alliance forces are making haste to deploy troops throughout Eastern Europe. They fear that Russia will invade Ukraine anytime soon before the Olympics end.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has four hordes of battlegroups. These divisions are located in Latvia, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and operate rotationally.
The United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, or the United States lead these army units and consist of troops from different member countries. According to the Alliance, all these groups are strong and ready for combat.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated that they are ready to buttress that presence more quickly. They will send additional forces and resources if needed.
White House Supports NATO Deployments
The US has bases in Romania and Lithuania, while others are in Poland. Last week, the White House deployed an additional 3,000 US troops to Poland, Romania, and Germany. Moreover, it has 8,500 personnel on extreme alert.
NATO, on the other hand, has no troops in Ukraine. Besides, no plans have been disclosed yet if it will send reinforcements to the said country. Even if Ukraine is not a member of NATO, the alliance likewise gives strategic-level recommendations to the country.
In Romania, NATO has a missile defense system that can determine, locate, attack, and extinguish ballistic missiles in the air. Poland has a similar facility and will become functional sometime this year.
Russia May Attack Before Olympic Games End
According to a new intelligence report, Russia will possibly attack Ukraine even before the Olympic games end on February 20. The disclosure emerges as the administration
officials notably ramped up the exigency of their public warnings. These alerts relate to Ukraine in the previous 24 hours.
Currently, Russia has 80% of the forces already positioned ready for a full-scale invasion. It’s a 10% increase from last week. The constant accumulation prompts the US to warn an invasion can happen within days.
“We continue to see signs of Russian escalation, including new forces arriving at the Ukrainian border. As we’ve said before, we are in the window when an invasion could begin at any time, should Vladimir Putin decide to order it,” said national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
What concerns the White House most are the live-fire drills in the Black Sea that will start on February 13. They could act as a pivoting start to a south incursion. On Friday, Russia started its naval exercises in Crimea, while its 10-day military drills carried on in Belarus.
The Biden administration compels Americans who are still in Ukraine to leave at the soonest possible time – at least a day or two.
The national security adviser also emphasized that the US military won’t enter the country to take them in case Russia attacks. Around 7,000 US and embassy-registered green cardholders are in the country. However, the estimated numbers that live there are between 23,000 to 30,000.
More Troops to Deploy for Poland
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin requested 3,000 troops headquartered at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, for Poland deployment. The military forces will leave in the next couple of days and be deployed by early next week.
These paratroopers are from the 82nd Airborne Infantry Brigade Combat Team. They are the second batch of soldiers to join the 1,700 other soldiers and chief enablers.
“At the direction of the President, Secretary Austin today ordered to Poland the remaining 3,000 soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Infantry Brigade Combat Team based at Fort Bragg, N.C. All told, this 5,000 additional personnel comprise a highly mobile and flexible force, capable of multiple missions,” said a U.S. senior defense official.
“They are being deployed to reassure our NATO allies, deter any potential aggression against NATO’s eastern flank, train with host-nation forces, and contribute to a wide range of contingencies. They will report to Gen. Tod Wolters, Commander, U.S. European Command,” the official added.
Meanwhile, US President summoned a virtual call on Friday with the leaders of major European affiliates, NATO heads, Canada, and the European Commission. They addressed Russia’s continuous mass troops and military setup surrounding Ukraine.
The urgency of diplomatic activity arises due to Russia’s deployment of six warships to the Black Sea. It either restricts or blocks Ukraine’s naval access. The accumulation in the Russian forces now wreathes the former Soviet republic.
Bombs and Missile Attacks Would Start the Invasion
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will start with bombings accompanied by missile attacks. It would recklessly kill several people from all walks of life, children and adult. According to Sullivan, he didn’t consider that Russian president Vladimir Putin made a final decision to launch a full invasion.
To help Ukraine counter Russia’s attacks, four US destroyers entered European waters to buck up for NATO. These ships are the USS Gonzalez (DDG 66), USS The Sullivans (DDG 68), USS Mitscher (DDG 57, and USS Donald Cook (DDG 75). They arrived from the east coast bases of the US. The said battleships come loaded with an abundance of Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Many are anxious that if Russia attempts to seize Ukraine, the drills will put the Russian armies close to Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital. This will make it easier to attack the city. However, Russia claimed that its troops would go back to their permanent headquarters after the exercises ended.
Image Source: Alex Beltyukov/WikimediaCommons (Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported)
