US warns allies that Russia could invade Ukraine as tensions in region reach boiling point
RUSSIA may be plotting to invade Ukraine, the United States has warned.
US officials have privately alerted their European allies as tens of thousands of Russian troops set up camp near the border as tensions grow.
They told their transatlantic counterparts that this also includes elite units, while some have been deployed covertly at night.
The rumoured military operations come amid tensions over migrants and energy supplies.
Whitehall sources said the government was concerned at the intel and there was “twitchiness” and “anxiety” among officials.
The US intelligence is believed to be based upon details that have not yet been disclosed with Europe, multiple sources told Bloomberg.
The potential invasion could eerily echo the events of 2014, when Russia invaded and annexed Crimea from Ukraine.
Just last month, Russia staged massive "invasion" drills in Crimea with more than 40 warships and 30 jets in a terrifying show of strength.
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US officials have now urged Moscow to reconsider making a "serious mistake", spurred by concerns from President Joe Biden.
But the Kremlin insisted it was not an aggressor and instead accused the US of goading Europe with its warnings.
Vladimir Putin has already come under fire after being accused of creating a migrant crisis in the Poland-Belarus border to destabilise Europe.
His country deployed two nuclear bombers to patrol the skies over Belarus amid the bitter border dispute.
Russia also claimed to have chased off a British spy plane on Thursday over the Black Sea region.
The RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft "tried to approach the state border of the Russian Federation in southwestern part of the Crimean Peninsula,” said Russia's defence ministry.
They said they had scrambled a Sukhoi SU-30 fighter jet to intercept the Brit plane, which reportedly changed course after being approached.
Russian officials said the troops had only been deployed for maneuvers and in response to the increased NATO activity near borders.
"PLAYING WITH FIRE"
The Kremlin previously warned the West was “playing with fire” by deploying warships in the Black Sea and warned of the “risks of a clash”.
They complained that two US warships and four NATO spy planes had been sent close to Crimea in just 24 hours.
Earlier this week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reassured Ukraine that the US commitment to ensuring their security is "ironclad".
Directly referring to the build up of Russian forces, he warned any "escalatory or aggressive actions would be of grave concern to the United States."
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The West insists that under international law Crimea belongs to Ukraine.
Earlier this year, fighting over the territory triggered a major diplomatic incident as Putin sent tens of thousands of troops and weaponry to the border.
