{"id":67495,"date":"2022-01-23T15:50:18","date_gmt":"2022-01-23T15:50:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/01\/23\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T11:56:01","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T11:56:01","slug":"russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/23\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\/","title":{"rendered":"Russia toughens its posture amid Ukraine tensions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MOSCOW \u2014 With tens of thousands of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/20\/satellite-images-show-more-russian-troops-equipment-near-ukraine\/\" target=\"_blank\">Russian troops positioned near Ukraine<\/a>, the Kremlin has kept the U.S. and its allies guessing about its next moves <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-ukraine-sergey-lavrov-moscow-russia-europe-f7a3da26cb574ce4beaf5616573f16c0\">in the worst security crisis<\/a> to emerge between Moscow and the West since the Cold War.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Amid fears of an imminent attack on Ukraine, Russia has further upped the ante by announcing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/18\/russia-moves-more-troops-westward-amid-ukraine-tensions\/\" target=\"_blank\">more military drills<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/20\/russia-announces-sweeping-naval-drills-amid-ukraine-tensions\/\" target=\"_blank\">in the region<\/a>. It also has refused to rule out the possibility of military deployments to the Caribbean, and President Vladimir Putin has reached out to leaders opposed to the West.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The military muscle-flexing reflects a bold attempt by the Kremlin to halt decades of NATO expansion after the end of the Cold War. In talks with the United States, Russia demands <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/14\/russia-demands-us-nato-response-next-week-on-ukraine\/\" target=\"_blank\">legally binding guarantees that the alliance will not embrace Ukraine and other former Soviet nations, or place weapons there<\/a>. It also wants NATO to pull back its forces from countries in Central and Eastern Europe that joined the alliance since the 1990s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Putin has described NATO membership for Ukraine and the others as well as the alliance\u2019s weapons deployments there as a red line for Moscow, warning that he would order unspecified \u201cmilitary-technical measures\u201d if the demands aren\u2019t met.<\/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\/01\/19\/russian-attack-could-happen-any-minute-ukraine-official-says\/\" 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=\"199\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19214053267686.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\">Russian attack could happen \u2018any minute\u2019 Ukraine official says<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">A new Russian invasion of Ukraine could take place \u201cat any minute,\u201d a Ukrainian military official told Military Times Wednesday morning.<\/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\">Putin pointed to NATO drills with the Ukrainian military, increasingly frequent visits of the alliance warships in the Black Sea and the flights of U.S. bombers near Crimea to emphasize the urgency of Russia\u2019s security demands. He argued that by creating training centers in Ukraine, Western powers can establish a military foothold there even without its joining NATO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe have nowhere to retreat,\u201d Putin said. \u201cThey have taken it to the point where we simply must tell them: \u2018Stop!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russia, which annexed Ukraine\u2019s Crimean Peninsula in 2014, has denied it intends to attack its neighbor. Last year, however, Putin issued a stark warning that an attempt by Ukraine to reclaim control of the areas in the east controlled by Russia-backed separatists would have \u201cgrave consequences for Ukrainian statehood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Ukrainian authorities denied planning such offensive, U.S. intelligence officials concluded that Russia had already deployed operatives to carry out acts of sabotage in the rebel east and blame them on Ukraine in a \u201cfalse-flag operation\u201d to create a pretext for possible invasion. Russia has rejected the claim as \u201ctotal disinformation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Putin has repeatedly asserted that Russians and Ukrainians are \u201cone people,\u201d and says large chunks of Ukrainian territory are historic parts of Russia \u2014 arbitrarily granted to Ukraine by Communist leaders during Soviet times.<\/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\/2022\/01\/20\/what-are-us-military-options-to-help-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=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP22020041850813.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\">What are US military options to help Ukraine?<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">How far might the United States and its allies go to help Ukraine defend itself if the buildup of Russian forces along Ukraine\u2019s borders leads to an invasion?<\/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\">Over 14,000 people have been killed in nearly eight years of fighting in Ukraine\u2019s industrial heartland called the Donbas, where the Moscow-supported insurgency erupted shortly after the annexation of Crimea. A 2015 peace deal brokered by France and Germany helped end large-scale battles, but a political settlement has stalled, and frequent skirmishes have continued along the tense line of contact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In early 2021, a spike in cease-fire violations in the east and a Russian troop concentration near Ukraine ignited the invasion fears, but tensions abated when Moscow pulled back the bulk of its forces after maneuvers in April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The military buildup near Ukraine resumed in the fall, with Ukrainian and Western officials warning that the increasing troop concentration could herald a multipronged Russian attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Putin noted with satisfaction that Russia has caused a \u201ccertain stress\u201d in the West. \u201cIt\u2019s necessary to keep them in that condition for as long as possible,\u201d he said in November, ordering his diplomats to push for binding guarantees against NATO expansion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the U.S. and its allies rejected the Russian demands for a halt to NATO expansion, some observers note that Moscow\u2019s insistence on a written reply may reflect an intention to use it as an argument for a possible escalation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAt this stage, the parties don\u2019t intend to compromise and want to shift responsibility for a potential conflict,\u201d said Kirill Rogov, a Moscow-based independent analyst.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Adding to an estimated 100,000 troops deployed near Ukraine, Russia also has moved more troops from Siberia and the Far East <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/18\/russia-moves-more-troops-westward-amid-ukraine-tensions\/\" target=\"_blank\">for joint drills with its ally Belarus<\/a>, which also borders Ukraine. In those exercises, Russian military units have moved to areas near Belarus\u2019 southern border, which is about 75 kilometers (47 miles) from Kyiv.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Earlier this week, the Russian Defense Ministry also announced <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/20\/russia-announces-sweeping-naval-drills-amid-ukraine-tensions\/\" target=\"_blank\">a series of naval maneuvers in the Black Sea and more distant areas<\/a> such as the Mediterranean, northeastern Atlantic and the Pacific. The exercises that will start this month and last through February would involve over 140 ships, dozens of aircraft and more than 10,000 personnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Amid the tensions, Putin also worked to strengthen alliances with the countries opposed to the West. He has hosted Iran\u2019s hard-line president for talks on expanding cooperation and is set to travel to the opening of the Winter Olympics in Beijing where he will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In recent days, Putin also spoke by phone with the leaders of Nicaragua and Venezuela, and a Russian government plane was recently seen cruising between Cuba and Venezuela in a possible harbinger of the next Kremlin moves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After the U.S. and its allies rejected Russia\u2019s demands for a halt to NATO expansion, Russia\u2019s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov kept the door open for the deployment of military assets to Cuba and Venezuela.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While voicing concern that NATO could potentially use Ukrainian territory for the deployment of missiles capable of reaching Moscow in just five minutes, Putin has warned that Russian warships armed with the latest Zircon hypersonic cruise missile would give Russia a similar capability if deployed in neutral waters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fyodor Lukyanov, a leading Russian foreign policy expert, observed that with Russia and the West taking intransigent stands in the talks, an escalation appears inevitable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTensions will be high, including demonstrations of force not necessarily near or in Ukraine,\u201d Lukyanov wrote in a commentary. \u201cReal talks with some room for maneuvering and a broader agenda would ideally begin only after the next round of escalation in order to ease tensions.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Amid fears of an imminent attack on Ukraine, Russia has further upped the ante by announcing more military drills in the region.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":98030,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":8,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[100,8,23,93,12,25],"tags":[],"coauthors":[1330],"class_list":["post-67495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-flashpoints","category-home","category-middle-column","category-news","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"4FOQQMWA3NBUDIHGUNKJ3IFJEI","arc_canonical_url":"\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/23\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Russia toughens its posture amid Ukraine tensions - Army Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Amid fears of an imminent attack on Ukraine, Russia has further upped the ante by announcing more military drills in the region.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/23\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Russia toughens its posture amid Ukraine tensions\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Amid fears of an imminent attack on Ukraine, Russia has further upped the ante by announcing more military drills in the region.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/23\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Army Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-01-23T15:50:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T11:56:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Vladimir Isachenkov, The Associated Press\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Vladimir Isachenkov, The Associated Press\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/23\\\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/23\\\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"Russia toughens its posture amid Ukraine tensions\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2022-01-23T15:50:18+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T11:56:01+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/23\\\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 1009,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/23\\\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP22015075100719.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"Flashpoints\",\n\t                \"Home\",\n\t                \"Middle Column\",\n\t                \"News\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/23\\\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/23\\\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/23\\\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Russia toughens its posture amid Ukraine tensions - Army Times\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/23\\\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/23\\\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP22015075100719.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2022-01-23T15:50:18+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T11:56:01+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Amid fears of an imminent attack on Ukraine, Russia has further upped the ante by announcing more military drills in the region.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/23\\\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/23\\\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/23\\\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP22015075100719.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP22015075100719.jpg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/23\\\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Flashpoints\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/flashpoints\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"flashpoints\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Russia toughens its posture amid Ukraine tensions\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Army Times\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Independent News For Soldiers | Army Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Army Times\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/army-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/army-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Army Times\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/armytimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Russia toughens its posture amid Ukraine tensions - Army Times","description":"Amid fears of an imminent attack on Ukraine, Russia has further upped the ante by announcing more military drills in the region.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/23\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Russia toughens its posture amid Ukraine tensions","og_description":"Amid fears of an imminent attack on Ukraine, Russia has further upped the ante by announcing more military drills in the region.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/23\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\/","og_site_name":"Army Times","article_published_time":"2022-01-23T15:50:18+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T11:56:01+00:00","author":"Vladimir Isachenkov, The Associated Press","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Vladimir Isachenkov, The Associated Press","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/23\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/23\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"Russia toughens its posture amid Ukraine tensions","datePublished":"2022-01-23T15:50:18+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T11:56:01+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/23\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\/"},"wordCount":1009,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/23\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22015075100719.jpg.jpg","articleSection":["Daily News Roundup","Flashpoints","Home","Middle Column","News","Newsletters"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/23\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/23\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/23\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\/","name":"Russia toughens its posture amid Ukraine tensions - Army Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/23\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/23\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22015075100719.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2022-01-23T15:50:18+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T11:56:01+00:00","description":"Amid fears of an imminent attack on Ukraine, Russia has further upped the ante by announcing more military drills in the region.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/23\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/23\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/23\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22015075100719.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22015075100719.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/flashpoints\/2022\/01\/23\/russia-toughens-its-posture-amid-ukraine-tensions\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Flashpoints","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/flashpoints\/","ad_zone":"flashpoints"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Russia toughens its posture amid Ukraine tensions"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/","name":"Army Times","description":"Independent News For Soldiers | Army Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#organization","name":"Army Times","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/army-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/army-logo-white.png","caption":"Army Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22015075100719.jpg.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Army Times","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67495","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67495"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67495\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67509,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67495\/revisions\/67509"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67495"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67495"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=67495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}