Ukraine Revolution: 150,000 Russian Troops On Alert As US Warns Putin
Moscow flexes military muscle with urgent drills and moves to secure facilities and arsenal of its Black Sea fleet, based in the Crimea
By Hannah Strange, and Roland Oliphant in Simferopol
10:49AM GMT 26 Feb 2014
President Vladimir Putin has put armed forces in western Russia on alert, amid rising tensions in the pro-Russian Crimea over the overthrow of Moscow ally Viktor Yanukovych by pro-European protesters.
In a sign of Moscow's displeasure at events in Ukraine, Mr Putin ordered an urgent drill to test troops' combat readiness, a move that could further raise the temperature in the region where supporters and opponents of the revolution were today locked in an ugly stand-off.
Sergei Shoigu, the Russian defence minister, said Moscow was "carefully watching what is happening in Crimea" and that measures were being taken to ensure the security of the facilities and arsenals of its Black Sea naval fleet, which is based in the fiercely pro-Russian Crimean city of Sebastopol.
He denied that the drill - which is to involve some 150,000 military personnel - was linked to events in Ukraine. But he said it would include military exercises "on Russia's borders with other countries, including Ukraine".
Forces must "be ready to bomb unfamiliar testing grounds" as part of the drill, Mr Shoigu told a Defence Ministry meeting.
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10662187/Ukraine-revolution-Protesters-in-stand-off-in-pro-Russian-Crimea.html