The United States has seen indications that Russia has positioned blood bags near Ukraine’s borders, two senior U.S. defense officials told CNN last Saturday (29), as part of its accumulation of medical supplies, troops and military equipment in the area that US officials said could signal plans for an invasion.
Reuters was the first to report on Russia’s movement of supplies to the Ukrainian border, which would be needed to treat casualties in the event of conflict. The development has heightened US concerns that Russia has the capability to launch an attack at very short notice.
One of the employees who spoke to the CNN warned that the presence of Russian blood supplies near the Ukrainian border is not an absolute indicator of an invasion. Rather, it is one element among many that the US is monitoring as the buildup of Russian forces steadily proceeds.
A CNN reported last month that Russia had begun building supply lines, such as medical units and fuel, that could sustain a protracted conflict should Moscow decide to invade.
Ukraine has denied that Russia has moved any blood supplies to the front lines. On Saturday, Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar called the reports “false”.
“This information is not true,” she said in a statement on Facebook. “Such ‘news’ is an element of information and psychological warfare. The purpose of such information is to spread panic and fear in our society.”
The White House, however, said Ukraine was downplaying the threat in a way that could lead to the country not being prepared for a possible Russian attack.
“We understand the difficult position of (Ukrainian) President Volodymyr Zelensky and the pressure he is under,” a White House official said Saturday. “But while he is minimizing the risk of invasion, he is asking for hundreds of millions of dollars worth of weapons to defend against one. We think it’s important to be open and honest about this threat.”
A CNN contacted the Russian Defense Ministry.
Tensions are rising between Zelensky and Biden administration officials amid a disagreement over how to interpret and publicly communicate US intelligence assessments that say Russia may be preparing a full-scale attack on Ukraine, I report. CNN.
While White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki warned that the administration believes war is “imminent,” Zelensky told reporters on Friday: “There is a feeling abroad that there is war here. That’s not the case”.
US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley spoke on Saturday with his Ukrainian counterpart, Lieutenant General Valery Zaluzhny, for the fourth time this month – a sign of the continued reach of Ukraine and NATO allies – a day after the warning of “terrible” and “horrible” consequences if Russia chooses to invade the country.
Milley and Zaluzhny exchanged assessments of the security situation facing Ukraine, according to a reading of the call.
Milley highlighted US support for an independent Ukraine. He has also spoken in recent days with many of his NATO colleagues.
This content was originally created in English.
original version
Source: CNN Brasil
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