KIEV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th November, 2021) Ukraine expects Russia to boost its military contingent on the border in December-January, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar said.
The Politico news outlet has recently published satellite images and said that it showed the deployment of troops near Ukraine but they were taken in the Smolensk region which does not border Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the reports as a hoax.
"We should expect more pieces of news in December and January than now. The intelligence says that the (Russian military) contingent will be increased within this period: December-January," Malyar told the Ukraina 24 broadcaster.
From her point of view, the current situation is not critical but there is always a threat of a new escalation of tensions.
Relations between Moscow and Kiev have deteriorated in the wake of the conflict in eastern Ukraine and Crimea's reunification with Russia in 2014. Ukraine has since repeatedly accused the Russian authorities of meddling in the country's internal affairs. Moscow has denied any interference claims and slammed them as unacceptable.
