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Above: Russian Spetsnaz (Special Forces) in Syria

Russia moves 2,000 crack Spetsnaz soldiers into Belarus as huge war games gets underway in fresh intimidation of Ukraine… and Putin hosts Orban in Moscow as NATO leaders fly to Kiev for talks

  • Russia is moving 2,000 Spetsnaz troops to Ukraine-Belarus border, stoking fears they will be used to invade 
  • They will join 5,000 commandos already in position as experts warn they could form spearhead of attack
  • Russia has today begun a huge war games in Belarus in a move designed to turn up the heat on Ukraine 
  • First phase of games got underway as Boris Johnson and Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki flew to Kiev for talks, while Russian held a rival summit with Hungarian leader Viktor Orban

Nick Craven in Kiev and David Averre – Daily Mail Feb 1, 2022

Two battalions of crack Russian Spetsnaz soldiers are being moved to the Belarus-Ukraine border, stoking fears of an imminent invasion on the orders of President Vladimir Putin.

The new special forces troops have been moved by train, ostensibly for war games taking in the border area designed to intimidate Russia’s ex-Soviet neighbour.

They will join another another 5,000 Spetsnaz commandos already in position, according to Western military experts, who warn they could form the spearhead of a much larger force estimated at around 80,000 soldiers, including Russian and Belarus regulars.

The troops of the 14th Spetsnaz Brigade – which has supplied the new reinforcements – specialise in infiltration and insertion behind enemy lines to plan sabotage and even assassination missions.

Tanks of 92nd Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces take part in a combat drill in Kharkiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today signed a decree to increase the size of Ukraine’s armed forces by 100,000 troops over three years and raise soldiers’ salaries, but insisted the move did not mean war with Russia was imminent. Click to enlarge

They arrived in Balrus as Putin launched a huge new set of war games today alongside the forces of crony Alexander Lukashenko to test their ‘combat readiness’ whilst also turning up the heat on authorities in Kiev.

The ‘first stage’ of the war games lasts until February 9 and will see thousands of Russian troops assemble and organise defences as part of a battle-readiness operation.

Major war games will then be conducted from February 10 and will see Russian and Belarusian units engage in a 10-day simulation of the ‘interception and suppression of foreign military aggression and counter-terrorism operations’ in what Shoygu dubbed ‘The Allied Resolve of 2022’.

It comes as Boris Johnson flies to Kiev today where he will meet president Volodymyr Zelensky against the backdrop of Moscow’s menacing military mobilisation.

Key figures on all sides are holding a series of meetings today for vital talks over Ukraine, one of which sees Russian President Vladimir Putin welcome Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to Moscow.

Despite being a member of NATO, Hungary maintains strong diplomatic ties with Russia and is expected to request an increase in gas supply – a move which was strongly condemned by opposition parties.

Click to enlarge

 

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