Russia added 7,000 extra troops to border, says US

by Teena Marian 17-02-2022 | 11:08 AM

(News 1st); Russia's claim that it is moving troops away from the border with Ukraine is false, according to a senior US official, who added that 7,000 extra troops have arrived in recent days.

The official also said that Russia could launch a "false" pretext to invade Ukraine "at any moment".

Moscow stated that they are moving troops away from the Ukrainian border after the completion of military exercises.

However, the Western officials announced that they have seen no evidence to support the claim.

"Russia must take real steps toward de-escalation," US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed in a phone call on Wednesday, according to the German chancellery.

On Wednesday, the Defence Ministry published a video purporting to show tanks leaving Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

However, according to a senior White House official, thousands more troops have arrived in the area in recent days.

International media stated that the US official cast doubt on Russia's assertions "it was withdrawing troops from the border with Ukraine".