Putin Stages 50,000 More Troops on Ukraine Border

03-28-2014 • Next News Network

Russian troops are massing on the Ukrainian border, doubling forces stationed there in just a few days. At least 50,000 additional troops in Crimea are being moved toward the border. Vladimir Putin is telling the world the deployments are part of training exercises, but many people in the international community are not so sure. The Russian President made similar statements just prior to invading the Crimean Peninsula. President Obama said, "these [actions] are not what Russia would normally be doing. It may simply be an effort to intimidate Ukraine, or it may be that they've got additional plans." Much of the information about Russian troop movements is based on satellite images. This means estimates of ground troop sizes vary greatly. Yarema Dukh, spokesman for Ukraine's defense agency, estimated 88,000 troops, under command of Moscow, are at his doorstep.