Ukrainian servicemen wait in formation before an exercise in the Joint Forces Operation, in the Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, February 15, 2022. Photo / AP
Ukrainian servicemen wait in formation before an exercise in the Joint Forces Operation, in the Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, February 15, 2022. Photo / AP
Britain's high ranking Defence Secretary has warned Russia is "locked and loaded" and "ready" to invade with 150,000 troops as soon as Vladimir Putin gives the word.
Speaking on British radio show LBC, Ben Wallace defended estimates that Russia would invade on February 15, claiming the invasion was "from" February15, not "on".
"Russia has the size of forces now gathered and at readiness, locked and loaded to some extent, ready to go should they wish to do so from yesterday, and that has proved to be exactly right," he said.
"The American intelligence, or the American briefing to allies, said 'from' the 15th of February, not 'on' the February 15.
Wallace said it was a "worrying sign" that 60 per cent of Russia's land forces are massed on the borders.
Ukraine's Ministry of Defence in one of its latest updates said Russian occupation forces "opened fire in the direction of Katerynivka using antitank missile systems", among a number of examples of conflict including shelling and antitank grenade launchers.
Urgent meeting to form battle plan
Top defence chiefs from NATO are currently meeting for urgent talks as Russia appears to be continuing to defy international orders despite claiming to be pulling back from Ukraine.
More warnings of a full invasion that could be launched at any time are in place and Russia has directly said it will retaliate if the UK imposes more sanctions over its reported plans to invade Ukraine.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Russia seemed to be building up its forces around Ukraine, despite Moscow announcing the pullback of more forces from the border.
"We have heard the signs from Moscow about readiness to continue diplomatic efforts, but so far, we have not seen any de-escalation on the ground.
NATO Secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg. Photo / AP
"On the contrary, it appears that Russia continues their military build-up," Stoltenberg said ahead of the meeting of NATO defence ministers at its Brussels headquarters.
The chiefs are expected to be forming a plan of attack against Russia despite saying they hold out hope that diplomacy will win in the end.
The Kremlin has already made denials, saying NATO is "wrong". It also denied any responsibility for a cyberattack which crippled the Ukraine's Defence Ministry website.
The Ministry has said the attack, which has hit some of Ukraine's banks and government organisations, is ongoing and hackers have succeeded in finding vulnerabilities, it said.
The Alliance is expected to respond to the Russian military build-up on the Ukrainian border with officials still saying an attack on Ukraine could take place at any time.
In response, NATO defence ministers will discuss plans to add at least four more battle groups in Eastern and Central Europe to act as a barrier and to bolster defences around the threatened area but it's complete plan of attack is yet unclear.
Elements of the @101stAASLTDIV are headed to Poland to reassure our @NATO Allies. This movement is part of the deployment of 3k troops under Task Force Dragon (XVIII Airborne Corps) announced last week by @DeptofDefensepic.twitter.com/P2BStHeNNg
— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) February 16, 2022
"What we haven't seen is evidence of withdrawal that has been claimed by the Kremlin," Wallace later told Sky News.
"In fact, we've seen continued build-up of things like field hospitals, and strategic weapons systems such as Iskander missiles deployed," he said, adding Britain "will judge them on their actions."
"Until we see a proper de-escalation, I think we should all be cautious about the direction of travel from the Kremlin."
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace says "the Russians have overwhelming forces over Ukraine" but if there is an invasion "the Ukrainians will fight".#KayBurleyhttps://t.co/Se6lSqyWaw
Russia had said military drills in Moscow-annexed Crimea had ended and that soldiers were returning to their garrisons, a day after it announced a first troop pullback from Ukraine's borders.
The statement said tanks, infantry vehicles and artillery were leaving Crimea by rail.
But Wallace said there was intelligences that more than 100 battalion tactical groups were still ready for action.
"They haven't taken the foot off the gas. If you wanted to inflict intimidation on Ukraine, that deployment is doing exactly that," he told Sky.
"That's why we need to see clear de-escalation by the removal of troops."
The crisis — the worst between Russia and the West since the Cold War ended — reached a peak this week, with US officials warning of a full-scale invasion — perhaps on Wednesday.
Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky reacted with sarcasm to the warning, and declared Wednesday a "Day of Unity".
"Serious external and internal challenges have arisen, which require responsibility, confidence and concrete actions from me and each of us," he said.
"But our state today is stronger than ever," he vowed.
Russian army tanks are loaded onto railway platforms to move back to their permanent base after drills in Russia. Photo / Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, AP
'Dirty tricks'?
On Tuesday, Ukraine said the websites of the country's defence ministry and armed forces as well as two banks had been hit by a cyberattack that could have Russian origins.
"It cannot be excluded that the aggressor is resorting to dirty tricks," Ukraine's communications watchdog said, in reference to Russia.
In a separate move likely to anger Kiev, Russian politicians on Tuesday voted to urge Putin to recognise two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as "sovereign and independent states".
This would allow Russia to abandon the Minsk agreements peace plan for eastern Ukraine and potentially move in Russian troops — giving Putin a strong hand to play in any future negotiations with Kiev.
The European Union "strongly" condemned such a move, saying it would violate the Minsk agreements that Moscow had signed up to.
Russia has repeatedly blamed the Ukraine crisis on the West, saying the United States and western Europe are ignoring Russia's legitimate security concerns.
A Ukrainian serviceman carries an NLAW anti-tank weapon during an exercise in the Joint Forces Operation, in the Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, February 15, 2022. Photo / AP
The Kremlin insists NATO must give assurances that Ukraine will never be admitted as a member and the alliance roll back its presence in several eastern European and ex-Soviet countries.
Russia already controls the Crimean Peninsula that it seized from Ukraine in 2014 and supports separatist forces who have taken control of parts of eastern Ukraine, in a conflict that has claimed more than 14,000 lives.
