The Pentagon says troops are in place to attack.
Good evening. This is your Russia-Ukraine Crisis Briefing, a weeknight guide to the latest news and analysis about the conflict. I’m your host, Carole Landry. Here’s the latest. Russian troops are in place for a full-scale military assault, American officials said as Ukraine declared a state of emergency and braced for war. Fears of an attack grew when the Kremlin said this evening that separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine had requested President Vladimir Putin’s “help in repelling the aggression of the armed forces and formations of Ukraine.” Ukrainian officials say there has been no such aggression and none is planned. The appeal could be used as a justification for Putin to order an invasion. The Pentagon, in its grimmest warning yet, said that 80 percent of the 190,000 Russian troops and separatist forces in or near Ukraine were now in combat-ready positions. “They are ready to go,” John Kirby, the Pentagon spokesman said. “They could attack at any time,” he added, “with a significant military force.” Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council approved a state of emergency for 30 days that Parliament then endorsed, and officials told Ukrainian citizens in Russia to leave immediately. “Our army is ready” to defend against a Russian attack, said Oleksiy Danilov, the head of the council.
