Russia troop numbers rise but chance of escalation low, says Ukraine
Ukraine's biggest national flag on the country's highest flagpole and the giant 'Motherland' monument are seen at a compound of the World War II museum in Kyiv, Ukraine, December 16, 2021. Picture taken with a drone. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko
Russia has amassed about 149,000 troops, airmen and sailors near Ukraine's borders, Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov told Ukrainian lawmakers on Friday.
Several thousand more are expected to arrive in the near future, he said, reports BBC.
But Reznikov added that his country estimates "the probability of a large-scale escalation as low" despite the build-up, according to quotes on Reuters news agency.
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On Thursday, the secretary of Ukraine's influential Security and Defence Council, Oleksii Danilov, voiced similar comments, but warned of possible provocations by Russia.
