The Pentagon, convinced that the Russian invasion of Ukraine began

The Pentagon was convinced on Wednesday that Russia had begun its invasion of Ukraine, in light of the moves it has taken in recent days.

Defense Department spokesman John Kirby told a news conference that Moscow has sent additional troops to the Donetsk area of ​​eastern Ukraine and that these troops have not advanced beyond this point.

“We can’t be very specific about the number or what kind of formations they have there, or their capabilities, but we really believe that’s happening,” Kirby said.

He added that the US he suspects that Russia will take some kind of action soon. “What we see is that Russian forces have continued to concentrate closer to the border and are in an advanced stage of preparation to act or carry out military action in Ukraine,” he stressed.

Kirby indicated that at this time the Pentagon believes that the Russian armed forces “are ready” to carry out an attack at any time on Ukrainian soil.

Russia has recognized the independence of the self-proclaimed breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine.and authorized the sending of troops to Donbas.

Given these steps, the Pentagon announced on Tuesday the deployment of an additional 800 US troops to the Baltic states – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – to reinforce NATO’s eastern flank.

The 800 troops are part of an infantry battalion that is currently in Italy and will be deployed in the Baltic region.

In addition, the US will move 20 AH-64 helicopter gunships from Germany to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

In parallel, the Pentagon will send eight F-35 fighter-bombers to “several locations” on NATO’s eastern flank, which are in Germany; and has given the green light for the transfer of twelve AH-64 helicopters from Greece to Poland.

These troop and equipment movements they are “temporary” and join the more than 90,000 soldiers that the US. has deployed to Europe under rotating and permanent mandates.