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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Luke Harding in Kyiv and Richard Luscombe

Russia has enough troops ready to take Kyiv, says former Ukraine defence chief

Russian armoured vehicles
There are now 135,000 Russian troops along Ukraine’s border. Photograph: AP

Russia has enough troops in place to seize Kyiv or another Ukrainian city but not yet sufficient numbers for a full takeover and occupation of the country, Ukraine’s former defence minister has said, as Washington warned that an invasion could take place at any time.

Andriy Zagorodnyuk said in an interview with the Guardian that the situation looked “pretty dire”. “Russia could now seize any city in Ukraine. But we still don’t see the 200,000 troops needed for a full-scale invasion,” he said.

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