Citing “three US officials,” Reuters reported that Russia was allegedly moving blood supplies and other medical materials near Ukraine. The officials cited by the agency in its “exclusive” argued that this was one of “concrete indicators” showing whether Moscow was poised to launch an invasion or not.
“The disclosure of the blood supplies” by unidentified US officials “adds another piece of context to growing U.S. warnings that Russia could be preparing for a new invasion of Ukraine,” Reuters pointed out.
Blood supplies have a short shelf life, typically around 14 days when refrigerated.
Two of the officials cited in the report told Reuters that the blood supplies were shipped “within recent weeks,” but did not provide a specific timeline.
The report comes the same day as top Pentagon official, Joint Chiefs of Staff chair Gen. Mark Milley, warned that considering the forces that Russia “has arrayed” near Ukraine, impact of a potential invasion would be “horrific” and lead to heavy casualties. He claimed that alleged Russian military build-up at the border with Ukraine was “larger in scale and scope” than anything seen since the end of the Cold War.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd, meanwhile, noted that according to US assessment, Russian President Vladimir Putin has not yet made up his mind on whether to invade Ukraine and has “multiple options” available, “including seizure of cities and significant territories but also coerce acts and provocative political acts, like the recognition of breakaway territories.”
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The Kremlin has repeatedly denied having aggressive intentions but has warned of “military-technical measures” if it’s security concerns – such as the request that NATO does not expand into Ukraine or Georgia – are not addressed.
“If it is up to the Russian Federation, there will be no war,” Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday. However, he added, Russia “will not allow our interests to be brutally attacked or to be ignored, either.”
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