Russia continues to move troops to Ukraine border - CIT

Russia continues to send its troops to the border with Ukraine as the earlier discovered camps are growing, new camps are set up, while tanks and howitzers are joined by sophisticated air defense systems.

Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT), a group of independent Russian investigators, reported this on December 30, according to Ukrinform.

"As new virtual summits and talks with the U.S., NATO and OSCE are being announced, Russian forces keep arriving into border regions. Open-source data shows how the earlier discovered camps are growing, new camps are set up, while tanks and howitzers are joined by sophisticated air defense systems," the article said.

According to CIT, during the past month, troops and/or vehicles were being transferred more actively into regions to the north-east of Ukraine – the regions do not border the "rebel" territories in Eastern Ukraine outside government control.

The Russian forces are being concentrated in various areas, including Klintsy and Klimovo in Bryansk region, less than 50 km and 10 km respectively from the Ukrainian border.

Apart from the staging areas that were discovered earlier, at least one new area has been pointed out at the Postoyalye Dvory training ground in Kursk region.

In addition, an increase of vehicle concentrations is also noted near Valuyki, Belgorod region (10 kilometers from the Ukrainian border).

There has also been an increase of Russian forces presence in Crimea.

Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov said on December 30 that Russia now cannot physically carry out a large-scale invasion of Ukraine. According to him, there is a "small increase" in Russia's military presence at the border, but it "is not too critical for us" and the situation is under control.

op