Russia could invade Ukraine during Winter Olympics: Blinken

CANBERRA: As satellite images emerge showing fresh Russian deployments at several locations near Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday warned that Russia could invade the eastern European country "any time" during the ongoing Beijing Winter Olympics.

"Simply put, we continue to see very troubling signs of Russian escalation, including new forces arriving at the Ukrainian border," Blinken said in Canberra, Australia. "We're in a window when an invasion could begin at any time and, to be clear, that includes during the Olympics," Blinken added. The 2022 Winter Olympic Games are scheduled to end on February 20.

The comments from the top officer came a day after President Joe Biden asked the US citizens to leave Ukraine, saying that they shouldn't expect American troops to evacuate if Russian invades Ukraine.

He added that the action could trigger a "world war" and "things could go crazy quickly." There have been reports that Russia has amassed over 120,000 troops close to the Ukrainian border, triggering fears of escalation.

US-based Maxar Technologies, which has been tracking the Russian troops build-up for weeks, has claimed that Moscow has deployed additional forces in annexed Crimea, western Russia and Belarus—all bordering Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russia has been holding drills in the Black Sea this month with six warships even as it conducts military drills north of Ukraine in Belarus. (Agencies)

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