Russia conducts live-fire drills near Ukraine border

Europe, News January 13, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

Russia held live-fire exercises with troops and tanks near the Ukrainian border on January 11, amid growing tensions between Moscow and the West over Kyiv-related issues.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Russia has deployed about 3,000 troops and 300 tanks and infantry fighting vehicles in one region near Belarus and three western Russian regions bordering Ukraine.

Earlier, Russia’s Interfax news agency cited the Western Military District as saying that the exercises will take place in the Smolensk region near the Belarusian border and in the Voronezh, Belgorod, and Bryansk regions near Ukraine.

The Western Military District said the motorized rifle exercises would involve T-72B3 main battle tanks and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles.

The Russian military said, “Each unit will complete the maneuvers by conducting a training battle with a live firing stage during which… BMP-2 armored vehicles and T-72B3 tanks will show their joint action skills and hit targets imitating the adversary’s vehicles and soldiers at ranges up to 1,200 meters.”

On January 10, a U.S. and Russian delegations meet in Geneva to discuss Ukraine and de-escalation issues. However, Russian officials said in a statement that if political efforts fail, Russia could resort to military action.

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Russian president’s Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov described the talks with the U.S. officials as positive, which was held in an “open, substantive, and direct manner”, however stated that there was “no significant reason for optimism”.

“There are no clear deadlines here, no one is setting them – there is just the Russian position that we will not be satisfied with the endless dragging out of this process,” Peskov said.

In response, U.S. Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland said it was “disappointing to hear” that Russia found no cause for optimism in the talks, and highlighted that the U.S. wants to continue “constructive” exchanges.

The U.S. State Department also criticized Russian exercises and said that it goes “in exactly the opposite direction” of de-escalation.