Ukrainian Defense Minister predicts no Russian attack in coming days

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov on Sunday said since there are no "strike forces" of the Russian troops in any city, it is inappropriate to say that the "attack" will be carried out in the next few days.

"Today, as of this hour, Russia has not formed yet a strike force in any city where it surrounded Ukraine. Therefore, it is inappropriate, in my opinion, to talk about the attack tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. But this does not mean that the risks are low, and it does not mean that there is no threat. I want to remind our partners that the threat has existed since 2013," Reznikov told Ukraine's 1+1 broadcaster, reported Sputnik.

The minister added that the Ukrainian military is ready to receive Russia's troops. The recent tensions are a result of Russia's build-up of around 150,000 troops just over the border from the Donbas region in the east, in Belarus to the north and Crimea to the south, which began in the autumn.


Russia claims the surge of forces has always been for military exercises and that it poses no threat to Ukraine or any other nation, but has refused to offer any other explanation for the biggest build-up of military might in Europe since the Cold War.