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The US believes that Russia is preparing for a nuclear test to warn western Ukraine

U.S. military and intelligence officials believe Russia is preparing for a major nuclear weapons test this month as a warning to Nato not to intervene if President Vladimir Putin decides to attack. Ukraine.

General Mark Milley, chairman of the joint monarchy, and Avril Haines, director of national intelligence, told lawmakers in the House of Representatives on Thursday that Putin plans to launch the game in mid-February, according to Congratulations on a closed door announcement.

Russia often has its annual nuclear weapons – which include testing nuclear missiles from land, sea and air – in the fall. But the US believes that Putin decided to keep them earlier this year as a powerful demonstration if he ordered his troops to destroy Ukraine.

The US believes that the best time to attack Russia will be from mid-February to the end of March.

Performing exercises in conjunction with the attack could send a powerful reminder to Nato of Moscow’s nuclear power, the world’s largest nuclear power plant. Russia has less than 4,500 nuclear weapons stored, according to the Federation of American Scientists.

“It can be a shocking and shocking message from the moment he attacked Ukraine,” said Rebeccah Heinrichs, a nuclear specialist at the Hudson Institute in Washington.

The US has not confirmed whether Putin has decided to attack Ukraine. But with allies, Washington is deeply alarmed by the continued rise of Russian troops around the border with Ukraine.

Over the past two weeks, Russia has increased the number of troops – ranging from 750 to 1,000 troops – to 60 to 83, according to a Nato source. The other 14 BTGs are also on their way to the border. The US believes Russia has also sent between 1,200 and 2,100 special forces into the region.

New military forces and other troops deployed to the region have brought the total number of Russian troops in the region to over 100,000.

Washington estimates that Russia has sent enough troops to launch a small offensive but has put in place 70 percent of troops who would like a full-scale offensive, which would include an attack on Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.

U.S. military experts believe Russia has the potential to send enough force to launch a full-scale invasion by mid-February, coinciding with the launch of its nuclear arsenal.

Earlier this week, President Joe Biden issued a decree sending 2,000 U.S. troops in Poland and Germany, in an attempt to send a signal to Putin about the strength of the NATO alliance. On Thursday, the US denounced Russia preparing to plot and in Ukraine or in the West, in the work of a “false flag” designed to create a cause for attack.

On Tuesday, Putin criticized the US for trying to “pull” Russia to war and said it was ignoring Russia’s security concerns and demanding assurances that Nato would not accept Ukraine in the future.

Russian leader received support from Chinese President Xi Jinping Friday when he traveled to Beijing to open the Winter Olympics. In a joint statement, he said he “opposes further Nato expansion”.

A US official said China would use a meeting with Putin to persuade him to cut back on Ukraine.

“If Russia invades Ukraine and China looks different, it shows that China is willing to tolerate or actively support Russia’s efforts to force Ukraine even if it embarrasses Beijing, undermines European security, and puts global peace and economic stability,” he said. .

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