OP-ED

Brian Whitmore: Putin ups the ante

By Brian Whitmore.

Published Aug. 18, 2016 at 3:37 pm

(FILES) A picture taken on May 23, 2015 shows Russian military vehicles at a camp at the Kuzminsky training ground in the Rostov region, some 50 km from the Russian-Ukrainian border.

Photo by AFP

Russia appears to be doing everything possible to make us all believe an all-out invasion of Ukraine is imminent. Troops and heavy weapons have been moved to the north of occupied Crimea, near the Ukrainian mainland.

Moscow has also positioned troops in Bryansk, to Ukraine’s north and near Rostov, to Ukraine’s east.

Additionally, Russian troops are reportedly holding military exercises with pro-Moscow separatist forces in Moldova’s breakaway Transdniester, on Ukraine’s western border.