{"id":56785,"date":"2021-12-17T00:25:26","date_gmt":"2021-12-17T00:25:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/12\/17\/all-out-war-or-creeping-occupation-among-putin-options-says-ukraine-mod\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T10:32:50","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T10:32:50","slug":"all-out-war-or-creeping-occupation-among-putin-options-says-ukraine-mod","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/flashpoints\/2021\/12\/17\/all-out-war-or-creeping-occupation-among-putin-options-says-ukraine-mod\/","title":{"rendered":"All-out war or \u2018creeping occupation\u2019 among Putin options, says Ukraine MoD"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Should Russian President Vladimir Putin decide to attack Ukraine<\/a>, he will have about 220,000 troops at his disposal, including about 120,000 already deployed near Ukraine\u2019s borders, Ukraine\u2019s Ministry of Defense told Military Times Thursday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But whether he will attack still remains unknown, according to the MoD, which charts two potential courses of action Putin could take \u2014 either all-out war or a \u201ccreeping occupation\u201d of Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Russia would be prepared to launch an attack by February at the latest, according to the MoD, Ukraine officials are still uncertain if Putin will give the go-ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAccording to our data V. Putin has not yet made the decision,\u201d according to the MoD. \u201cIt will depend upon many factors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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FILE – In this photo released by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, flames rise over the Mulino training ground in the Nizhny Novgorod region during the joint strategic exercise of the armed forces of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus Zapad-2021 in the Nizhny Novgorod region, Russia, on Sept. 11, 2021. Ukrainian and Western officials are worried that a Russian military buildup near Ukraine could signal plans by Moscow to invade its ex-Soviet neighbor. The Kremlin insists it has no such intention and has accused Ukraine and its Western backers of making the claims to cover up their own allegedly aggressive designs. (Vadim Savitskiy\/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Before making the decision to attack, Putin will factor in the economic and political situation in Ukraine, support for Ukraine from the international community, \u201cstrict reaction (in the form of so-called hellish sanctions, military assistance, etc.) of the world leading countries on the Kremlin\u2019s aggressive policy towards Ukraine,\u201d and the situation in Russia itself, according to the MoD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Joe Biden has spoken to both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an effort to calm the situation. He promised both that Russia would face \u201csevere consequences\u201d if Russian military forces advance into Ukraine, but he also said that he would not deploy U.S. combat forces to the region to push back any such assault. Other western leaders have made similar statements. New German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Russia would face \u201cmassive consequences<\/a>\u201d if it attacked, according to Reuters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the 120,000 Russian troops currently arrayed around Ukraine\u2019s borders, Russia would deploy troops from its Western and Southern military districts, as well as airborne units should it decide to attack, according to the assessment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe full strength of all Russian troops … which may be involved into the large scale invasion against our country makes up around 220,000 servicemen,\u201d according to the MoD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Russian embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, Putin has denied plans <\/a>of launching an invasion and reversed the conversation by prodding Western leaders to provide legally binding guarantees precluding NATO\u2019s expansion to Ukraine and the deployment of the alliance\u2019s weapons there, calling such actions a \u201cred line<\/a>\u201d for Moscow, according to The Associated Press.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Kremlin said Thursday that Russia submitted draft documents outlining security arrangements it wants to negotiate with the United States and its NATO allies amid spiraling tensions over Ukraine<\/a>,\u201d according to AP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a senior Russian envoy stood ready to immediately depart for talks in a neutral country on the proposal, according to AP.<\/p>\n\n\n\t