The possibility of an attack by the Russian army is growing day by day, as Vladimir Putin decided on Monday, February 21 to recognize the independence of the pro-Russian separatist regions of eastern Ukraine. Professor at the Norwegian Institute for Defense Studies and at Sciences Po, Katarzyna Zysk takes stock of the forces involved and the possible scenarios.
Katarzyna Zysk: Adding the forces of Belarus, the separatist forces of Lugansk and Donetsk, in occupied Crimea, the Russian National Guard and other internal security units, 190,000 soldiers under the orders of Moscow are stationed on the outskirts of Ukraine. But beyond the number, what counts is the quality of these Russian fighters , having received extensive training and experienced in major exercises. Especially since a large part of this army has experienced combat, in the Donbass, unofficially, since 2014, and especially in Syria, from 2015. In addition to this are more modern armaments and sophisticated and in greater numbers compared to those of Ukrainians.
