U.S. official claims Russia could defeat NATO forces

(TRUNEWS) A U.S. defense official has warned that Russia could defeat NATO forces in just 60 hours.

Michael Carpenter, the U.S. Deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia has told a Senate Foreign Relations Committee that NATO was not prepared, and could not adequately defend members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as reported by News.com.au.

Russia launches huge air defense exercises close to Ukraine

Russia has announced large-scale air defense exercises along its Ukraine border. The move is being perceived as a show of strength by Moscow, and is likely to further raise tensions in the region.

Russia has announced large-scale air defense exercises along its Ukraine border. The new military drills will involve around 100 aircraft, and will be staged from Monday through to Friday this week, a Russian air force spokesman told the Interfax news agency.

Russian units transferred from securing the Sochi games to the Ukraine border

debkafile’s military sources report that units of the Russian forces which formed a steel ring around the Olympic Winter Games that ended in Sochi Sunday were flown and shipped Monday, Feb. 24 to Russian bases at the Ukrainian Crimean port of Sevastopol, as Moscow refused to recognize the legitimacy of the new authorities in Kiev.

Giant Russian Air Force transports and rapid deployment forces were placed on alert at the Rostov on-Don base east of the predominantly Russian-speaking southeastern Ukrainian town of Donetsk.