A senior U.S. defense official said Wednesday that Russia could launch a full-scale attack on the country at any moment, as it placed 80% of its troops encircling Ukraine in forward positions.
Servicemen of the Ukrainian military are walking on the front line with Russia.
An unnamed U.S. defense official told CNN that most of the Russian troops the Pentagon expected to be in place are now in the region.
The US warned their Ukrainian counterparts Tuesday morning that an invasion could begin imminently.
Russian officials have demanded security concessions from Western governments, including a promise to exclude Ukraine from NATO, and threatened military-technical measures.
Russian troops can only stay in forward positions for several days before their readiness begins to decline, according to experts. Russia may need to decide quickly between invading Ukraine and returning their troops to larger bases.
The exact timing of a Russian invasion is up to Russia, a defense official told the Post. The Wall Street Journal reported two weeks ago that the U.S. officials believed an invasion would take place on February 16.
Russia began amassing troops near the Ukrainian border late last year, prompting fears that it could attack large swaths of its neighbor. The situation has grown more tense this week, as Putin recognized the independence of two eastern Ukrainian territories and indicated he may send troops into those territories. Western officials have accused Russia of trying to create a pretext for an invasion by violating a ceasefire between the Ukrainian government and the pro-Russia rebels.
In response to Russia's actions in eastern Ukraine, the Biden Administration unveiled sanctions on Russian debt, two major Russian banks and several billionaires. The United States ordered sanctions on the company that built the Nord Stream 2, a not-yet-operational natural gas line to Russia, on Wednesday.
Russian troops will need to be moved soon due to the harsh conditions.
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