Ukrainian soldiers hold the line amid Russian escalation, pandemic

By Veronika Strashko .

Published April 7, 2021. Updated April 7 at 11:30 am

Ukrainian servicemen patrol along with a position at the front line with Russia-backed separatists not far from Avdiivka, Donetsk region on April 5, 2021. The US Defense Department called April 6, 2021, for Russia to make clear its intentions regarding a buildup of military forces along Ukraine's southeast border and in Crimea.

Photo by AFP

Whether it is just nerve-wracking saber-rattling or a prelude to a deeper invasion of Ukrainian territory, the Kremlin has massed troops along Ukraine’s eastern borders for what it describes as routine military exercises. But the movements have spurred international concern and put Ukrainian forces on alert.

Read the latest coverage by the Kyiv Post’s defense correspondent Illia Ponomarenko.

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