{"id":18005,"date":"2022-02-03T20:27:17","date_gmt":"2022-02-03T20:27:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/02\/03\/us-says-new-intel-shows-russia-plotting-false-flag-attack\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T05:49:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T05:49:34","slug":"us-says-new-intel-shows-russia-plotting-false-flag-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/flashpoints\/2022\/02\/03\/us-says-new-intel-shows-russia-plotting-false-flag-attack\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. says new intel shows Russia plotting false flag attack"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. accused the Kremlin on Thursday of an elaborate plot to fabricate an attack by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/ukraine\/\" target=\"_blank\">Ukrainian forces<\/a> that Russia could use as a pretext to take military action against its neighbor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the scheme included production of a graphic propaganda video that would show staged explosions and use corpses and actors depicting grieving mourners.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2022\/02\/03\/more-russian-forces-mass-near-border-but-still-not-ready-to-attack-ukraine\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"167\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/UR11.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">More Russian forces mass near border, but still not ready to attack: Ukraine<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">\u201cThe likelihood of more substantive escalation on the Ukrainian boarders as for today is viewed as low,\u201d according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The plan for the fake attack on Russian territory or Russian-speaking people was revealed in declassified intelligence shared with Ukrainian officials and European allies in recent days. It is&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/14\/russia-prepping-false-flag-pretext-for-ukraine-invasion-us-officials\/\">the latest allegation&nbsp;<\/a>by the U.S. and Britain that Russia is plotting to use a false pretext to go to war against Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The White House in December accused Russia of developing a \u201cfalse-flag\u201d operation to create pretext for an invasion. Britain recently named specific Ukrainians it accused of having ties to Russian intelligence officers plotting to overthrow Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The U.S. also released a map of Russian military positions and detailed how officials believe Russia will try to attack Ukraine with as many as 175,000 troops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019ve seen these kinds of activity by the Russians in the past, and we believe it\u2019s important when we see it like this, and and we can, to call it out,\u201d Kirby told reporters at the Pentagon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. has not provided detailed information backing up the intelligence findings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kirby said that the Russians would also stage military equipment used by Ukraine and the West to bolster the credibility of the scheme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new U.S. intelligence found that Russia would possibly use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/unmanned\/2019\/01\/14\/turkish-firm-to-sell-drones-to-ukraine-in-69-million-deal\/\" target=\"_blank\">Turkish-made Bayraktar drones<\/a> as part of the fake operation, according to a senior administration official who was not authorized to comment and spoke on the condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The drones supplied by NATO-member Turkey have been used by Ukraine against pro-Russia separatists in the Donbas region, a move that angered Moscow, which has made clear it is strongly opposed to Ukraine being equipped with the technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. unveiled the the intelligence as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered to mediate talks between Russia and Ukraine and NATO warned that Moscow\u2019s military buildup continues, with more troops and military equipment deployed to neighboring Belarus than at any time in the last 30 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/ukraine\/2022\/02\/02\/satellite-images-show-russian-troops-training-more-deployments-around-ukraine\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"210\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/30_tanks-on-firing-range_pogonovo-training-area_26jan2022_wv3.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Satellite images show Russian troops training, more deployments around Ukraine<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Maxar Technologies has collected images over the last several months to track Russian military deployments.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Erdogan, who has close but sometimes difficult ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Thursday that Turkey was \u201cprepared to undertake its part in order to end the crisis between two friendly nations that are its neighbors in the Black Sea.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI have stressed that we would be happy to host a summit meeting at a leadership level or technical level talks,\u201d Erdogan said after about three hours of talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. \u201cInstead of fueling the fire, we act with the logical aim of reducing the tensions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine\u2019s northern and eastern borders, raising concern that Moscow might invade again, as it did in 2014. The troop presence and uncertainty have unnerved Ukrainians and hurt the country\u2019s economy. Russian officials deny that an invasion is planned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Erdogan underlined Turkey\u2019s commitment to Ukraine\u2019s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Turkey and Ukraine also signed eight agreements during the meeting, including a free trade pact, according to Turkey\u2019s state-run Anadolu Agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Zelenskyy welcomed Erdogan\u2019s offer and thanked him for his \u201cfirm and consistent\u201d support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The crisis has put Turkey in a fix, leaving it in a position where it has to balance its growing partnership with Ukraine with its difficult relations with Moscow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ankara, which has historic ties to Ukraine and ethnic bonds with its Crimean Tatar community, strongly opposed Russia\u2019s 2014 annexation of Crimea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same time, Turkey would be reluctant to joint in any sanctions against Russia. With a struggling economy, the country has pinned its hopes on tourism revenue, especially from visitors from Russia. It also relies on Russia for much of its natural gas needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At NATO headquarters earlier, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned that Russian troop numbers in Belarus are likely to climb to 30,000, with the backing of special forces, advanced fighter jets, Iskander short-range ballistic missiles and S-400 ground-to-air missile defense systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOver the last days, we have seen a significant movement of Russian military forces into Belarus. This is the biggest Russian deployment there since the Cold War,\u201d Stoltenberg told reporters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was in Minsk on Thursday, checking on preparations for major Russia-Belarus war games scheduled for Feb. 10 to Feb. 20. Shoigu met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Speaking about the drills, Lukashenko said the goal was \u201cto reinforce the border with Ukraine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same time, Ukraine\u2019s defense minister sought again to project calm, saying the probability of an invasion was \u201clow,\u201d and he welcomed a change by U.S. officials, who have stopped using the term \u201cimminent\u201d when describing the risk of a Russian attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Oleksii Reznikov said \u201cthe threat exists, the risks exist, but they have existed since 2014, ever since Russia has become an aggressor.\u201d He said \u201cthere are no grounds for panic, fear, flight or the packing of bags.\u201d The minister put the number of Russian troops near Ukraine at 115,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, Stoltenberg renewed his call for Russia to \u201cde-escalate,\u201d and repeated warnings from the West that \u201cany further Russian aggression would have severe consequences and carry a heavy price.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NATO has no intention of deploying troops to Ukraine should Russia invade, but it has begun to reinforce the defenses of nearby member countries \u2014 notably Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. The 30-nation military alliance also plans to beef up its defenses in the Black Sea region near Bulgaria and Romania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3096\" height=\"2064\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22034637614169.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-38583\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22034637614169.jpg.jpg 3096w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22034637614169.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22034637614169.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22034637614169.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22034637614169.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22034637614169.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3096px) 100vw, 3096px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">President Joe Biden waves as he steps off Air Force One upon arrival, at John F. Kennedy Airport, Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, in the Queens Borough of New York. (Alex Brandon\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stoltenberg also embraced President Joe Biden\u2019s decision on Wednesday to send <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/ukraine\/2022\/02\/02\/biden-sending-more-troops-to-europe-amid-ukraine-tension\/\" target=\"_blank\">2,000 U.S.-based troops to Poland and Germany and to shift 1,000 more from Germany to Romania<\/a>, demonstrating to both allies and foes Washington\u2019s commitment to NATO\u2019s eastern flank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe are committed to finding a political solution to the crisis, but we have to be prepared for the worst,\u201d Stoltenberg said, and he appreciated other recent offers of troops and equipment from several allies. Russia objects to the troop move and has described it as \u201cdestructive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Helsinki, Finnish leaders held talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen about a letter that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sent to several countries on the \u201cindivisibility of security\u201d in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lavrov argues that the U.S. and NATO misunderstand the concept \u2014 which essentially means that the security of one European country is linked to the security of them all \u2014 and he has demanded replies from countries that signed a key security document encompassing it to clarify the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said there was no \u201cbig news\u201d in the letter but that it warranted a reply. Von der Leyen said the commission, the EU\u2019s executive branch, will coordinate a response, even though Lavrov insisted that only countries and not organizations should answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>Fraser reported from Ankara and Madhani from Washington. Associated Press writers Dasha Litvinova in Moscow, Yuras Karmanau in Kyiv, Ukraine, Nomaan Merchant and Robert Burns in Washington, Jari Tanner in Helsinki and Barbara Surk in Nice, France, contributed to this report.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The U.S. has not provided detailed information backing up the intelligence 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