There are as many as 190,000 Russian troops "in and around Ukraine", according to the US ambassador to the OSCE.

"We assess that Russia probably has massed between 169,000-190,000 personnel in and near Ukraine as compared with about 100,000 on January 30," Michael Carpenter told an OSCE meeting, which Russia did not attend.

"This is the most significant military mobilization in Europe since the Second World War."

His statement comes as Russia announced Vladimir Putin will oversee exercises by Russia's nuclear forces on Saturday involving the launch of ballistic and cruise missiles.

“The air forces, the Southern military district forces, strategic cruise missile forces and Northern and Black Sea naval fleets” are to be involved in the exercises to test Russia's nuclear deterrent on Saturday. As part of the war games, the armed forces will practice launching strikes with ballistic and cruise missiles.

The ministry insisted that the drills had been planned in advance. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace warned last week that Russia could be planning nuclear drills in the coming days as a way to keep up the tensions over Ukraine.

Read more here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/02/18/russia-ukraine-crisis-latest-invasion-putin-threat-false-flag/

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