As negotiations stall, Russia masses troops and weapons around Ukraine

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Russia has sent troops to Ukraine's borders and announced extensive naval exercises as Moscow expands its preparations for a potential attack on Ukraine because negotiations for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis are at a standstill.

Six Russian landing ships capable of carrying main battle tanks, troops, and other military vehicles traveled through the English Channel last week en route to the Mediterranean in a schedule that could support an amphibious landing on Ukraine's southern coast if Vladimir Putin orders an attack, The Guardian writes. Ukrainian military intelligence claims that Russia is hiring mercenaries and supplying its forces in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions with fuel, tanks, and self-propelled artillery in preparation for a potential escalation of fighting.

And large military forces, including Iskander short-range ballistic missiles, elite special forces troops, and anti-aircraft batteries, have arrived in Belarus from Russia's eastern military district, an extraordinary deployment that Western officials and analysts say could allow Moscow to threaten Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital.

The new deployment has worried US officials.

"What concerns us is the overall picture," a senior State Department official said at a briefing last week.

"It's the buildup of 100,000 troops along Ukraine's borders combined with the movement of forces into Belarus over the weekend... these numbers are, of course, above what we would expect given normal exercises," he added.

The new forces in Belarus, the US official believes, represent "Russia's increased ability to launch this attack, increased capabilities, increased routes."

On the other hand, the US and the UK have increased support for Ukraine and sent it the necessary aid to defend against a possible Russian invasion. 

Estonia announced it would provide Javelin anti-tank missiles, while Lithuania and Latvia will send Stinger anti-aircraft missiles. The Netherlands also said it would be ready to provide defensive weapons to Ukraine.