Ukrainian President, in a dramatic announcement, on November 26, informed that Russia is planning to invade Ukraine on December 1. The announcement comes amidst rising tensions due to a large of Russian troops being stationed at the Russia-Ukraine border. Some 94,000 Russian troops are stationed at the Ukrainian border, as informed by the head of Ukraine's military intelligence to the Military Times outlet this weekend.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said during a news conference that they've received information that a coup d'etat will take place in the country on December 1-2. He then noted that his troops are prepared for any escalation on the border by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine's foreign minister addressed Russia on Thursday, November 25, and noted that an attack on his country would set off 'political, economic and human losses' and would prove to be very costly, during a televised briefing. "A new attack on Ukraine will be too costly, so it is better not to do it," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.
'We're not trying to guess what's going on Russian President Vladimir Putin's head'
Kuleba noted during the briefing Moscow must understand what political, economic, and human losses it [the attack] will incur if they decided to go ahead with it. He also said that they are not trying to guess what's going on in Russian President Vladimir Putin's head. Ukraine, in a bid to join the NATO military alliance, received a large consignment of ammunition and Javelin missiles from the US earlier this year, reportedly irking Moscow.
The warnings of a possible invasion intensified last week when it was revealed that the US shared information with European allies on how a buildup of Russian troops and artillery could pave way for a quick invasion. The intelligence guessed that Russian troops could cross into Ukraine from Crimea, the Russian border, and Belarus, with up to 100,000 soldiers in total, according to DailyMail. Two other sources added that half the tactical groups were already in position and the attack would be backed by air support.
Moscow dismissed the reports
Moscow, however, refuted the reports and accused Ukraine of concealing its aggressive plans by spreading misinformation. "The number of provocations has been growing, and those provocations have been conducted using the weapons that NATO countries sent to Ukraine," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
The relationship between Ukraine and Russia soured in 2014 when the latter backed separatists who rose up in eastern Ukraine and took over the territory that Ukraine wants back. Since then, over 14,000 people have lost their lives according to Ukrainian reports.
