The security situation in Ukraine is extremely dangerous. Russia has deployed close to 130,000 troops to the border with Ukraine, which are only waiting for a signal to attack or to intensify provocations in the occupied Donbas region.
The United States have advised the families of American diplomats to depart Ukraine. Germany is looking to take similar steps, and other countries might follow suit.
Moreover, there is the threat of an invasion of Kiev and the overthrowing of Ukrainian authorities with the aim of introducing people loyal to Putin. Ukraine’s government has warned that the Kremlin is capable of such a move.
Meanwhile, Russian state media have been carrying out a campaign of “explaining” the reasons of a potential invasion of Ukraine to the Russian public. The discussion has both a political and military dimension. The face of the military part is Igor Korotchenko — the main expert on military affairs.
A few days ago, he stated that in the case of a potential armed conflict with the West, Russia should strike first. He believed that Moscow would gain a strategic advantage over its opponent by doing so.
Korotchenko is also often a presenter in the publicity programs of Russian state television Rossija 1. He recently was “making viewers aware” through maps and simulations about how a conflict between Russia and its neighbors would look like. He explained how and in what ways Russian forces should attack to achieve success.
Among the examples he gave were potential Russian campaigns against Poland and the Baltic States. He also pointed to Gotland as an area for Russian aggression. Sweden is already aware that the threat of an attack on Gotland is high and decided to send a critical response force to the island and has increased its military potential
The deputy Speaker of the Lower Chamber of Russian Parliament Piotr Tolstoy also spoke about the matter. He said he believes that Russia should return to its borders from the times of the Russian Empire. According to Tolstoy’s statements, when some countries which used to belong to the Russian Empire were taken, the Baltic States and Finland would “come crawling on their own” due to realizing their “insignificance.”
