Is Russia Planning An All-Out Attack On Ukraine?

Russia Preparing an All-Out Attack in Ukraine? -- Sarah Kaufman, Vocativ

As Kiev and the Kremlin talk peace plans, pro-Ukrainian militias prepare for a Russian invasion in southern Ukraine 


Ukrainian forces withdrew from a key eastern airport on Monday after coming under attack from separatist fighters, allegedly backed by Russian tanks. Now the conflict is threatening to escalate even further, with residents of Mariupol warning that Russian troops are preparing to stage a full-blown attack on the southern city. Russian tanks reportedly arrived in the nearby city of Novoazovsk, Ukraine on August 27, and ever since then Mariupol’s citizens have feared a Russian-led invasion.

Among those sounding the alarms in Mariupol are members of the pro-Ukrainian militia “Hundreds of Soldiers of Christ,” who are fighting for a unified Ukraine and more Christian government leaders. The group is part of the Azov battalion, a paramilitary organization comprised of about 300 mostly far-right Ukrainian activists. The commander of the Soldiers of Christ, Dmytro Linko, told Vocativ via Facebook that as of Sunday, Russian troops were visible 15 kilometers from the front in Mariupol, where locals are digging trenches and preparing for battle. The Russian troops’ presence could not be verified.

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My Comment: Why prepare for a massive invasion for the world to see .... when what Russia is doing now is achieving all of their military objectives on the ground. But if I see 80.000+ Russian troops on the border coupled with forward deployment of air force units .... that is when I will say that a full scale invasion is going to occur. But for now .... Russia will support pro-Russian irregular and militia forces coupled with Russia's own special forces and small scale military units.