“We’ve been saying for some time that the Russians might do something similar in order to justify a military conflict. So we’ll be watching closely,” Austin told reporters after a meeting with NATO defense ministers.
He added that Russia is increasing the size of its forces on the border with Ukraine.
He pointed out that the number of Russian soldiers on the border with Ukraine has risen to more than 150,000
Nevertheless, the US Secretary of Defense stressed that a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis is still possible.
And Ukraine said earlier today that a village in the Donbass border region with Russia was bombed, the source of which was the territory controlled by pro-Moscow separatists.
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Demyaro Kuleba, stated that the village of Stanitsya Luhanska was bombed with heavy weapons, as a result of which a kindergarten was damaged, resulting in injuries.
On the other hand, Moscow loyalists said that Ukrainian forces opened fire on residential areas, accusing Kiev of escalating the situation.