Troops in western Russia placed on alert in drill
on February 26, 2014
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Amid ongoing tension in Ukraine, Russia's president ordered a military drill Wednesday, scheduled to continue until March 3rd.
From the NY Times:
President Vladimir V. Putin ordered a surprise exercise of ground and air forces on Ukraine’s doorstep Wednesday, intending to demonstrate his country’s military preparedness at a time of heightened tensions with Europe and the United States over the turmoil gripping Russia’s western neighbor. The Obama administration said any Russian military intervention in Ukraine would be a costly and “grave mistake.”The NY Times noted however that “senior defense and government officials later said the exercise was not related to the events in Ukraine.” A Reuters article, Putin puts troops in western Russia on alert in drill, also reports that officials in Russia said the drills were previously planned. Buzzfeed also reports that Russia gave U.S. military leaders advance warning about the military exercise. Regardless of any advance notice, observers and U.S. officials of course remain concerned. Speaking on MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” on Wednesday, Secretary of State John Kerry indicated that he hopes Russia will respect the sovereignty of Ukraine.Russia’s military put tens of thousands of troops in western Russia on alert at 2 p.m. for an exercise scheduled to last until March 3. The minister of defense, Sergei K. Shoigu, also announced unspecified measures to tighten security at the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet on Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula.
