Russian Military Drill, Leningrad Region, Russia - 14 Feb 2022
Russian air force MiG-31 ZVO fighters conduct shooting at air targets during an exercise near Belarus and Ukraine in the Tver region of western Russia, in this image released by the Russian Ministry of Defense on Monday Feb 14, 2022. The exercise comes as U.S. President Joe Biden on February 2 ordered nearly 3,000 extra troops deployed to Poland, Romania, and Germany to reinforce NATO's eastern flank amid increased military buildup by Russia as more than 100,000 Russian troops have massed near the border. Russia denies planning an attack or invasion but says it could take unspecified military action if a list of demands is not met, including a promise from NATO never to admit Ukraine. Russia is engaged in the largest build-up since the Cold War with an expected 30,000 combat troops. Putin has created pressure points on three sides of Ukraine - in Crimea to the south, on the Russian side of the two countries' border, and in Belarus to the north.
