Months of diplomacy have failed to resolve the escalating crisis as fears have grown over an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine.
US President Joe Biden and Russian leader Vladimir Putin held video talks yesterday with Biden warning an invasion would cause "widespread human suffering".
He added the West was committed to diplomacy to end the crisis and was "equally prepared for other scenarios".
Putin meanwhile complained in the call that the US and NATO have not responded satisfactorily to Russian demands adding Ukraine should be prohibited from joining the military alliance and that NATO pull back forces from Eastern Europe.
NATO FORCES
British and US Rivet Joint spy planes are patrolling Ukraine’s border, and the Black Sea.
There are 5,000 US troops in Poland.
Around 900 UK troops are in Estonia and that figure will double this month.
There are 1,000 UK troops on standby in Britain, ready to be deployed to eastern Europe. In addition, 350 Royal Marines will go to Poland to reinforce 150 Light Cavalry already there.
Other European NATO nations involved include France and Italy. UK is sending more warships to the Black Sea for “exercises”.
American and UK subs are in the Med and Black Sea, listening in on Russian communications. UK has offered to send warships – including HMS Trent and a Type 45 destroyer – to the Eastern Med, and RAF jets; and 2,000 anti-tank missiles to Ukraine.
British and US Rivet Joint spy planes are patrolling Ukraine’s border, and the Black Sea.
There are 5,000 US troops in Poland. Around 900 UK troops are in Estonia and that figure will double this month.
There are 1,000 UK troops on standby in Britain, ready to be deployed to eastern Europe.
UKRAINE NORTH WEST FLANK
Tens of thousands of Border and National Guardsmen and women are in place and will call up reinforcements if attacked.
RUSSIAN TROOP FORMATIONS
More than 230,000 pro-Russian forces, including 30,000 separatists and 40,000 Belarus troops.
The rest are regular army/navy and special forces. Another 50,000 can be called to front line.
UKRAINIAN FORCES
Around 220,000 battle-ready army soldiers but also 10,000-plus reservists who can be called up, plus Territorial Army troops
RUSSIAN NORTHERN FLANK
Around 40,000 Russian troops – including 5,000 Spetsnaz special forces and GRU military intel operators supposedly on exercise.
Around another 40,000 Belarus army troops are also training but are primed for invasion.
They have kit including tanks, troops carriers and rocket launchers.
RUSSIAN EASTERN FLANK
There are 120,000 troops on Ukraine’s eastern flank just near the border but Russia’s 1st Guards Tank Army has just arrived nine miles from border.
Separately, T-80U tanks of the 4th Guards have also been spotted approaching the border.
Iskander-M mobile short-range ballistic missile system, along with more than a dozen interceptor missile systems have also spotted in the border region. Videos show Ka-52 Alligators, Mi-8s and Mi-24 military attack helicopters on the move in multiple locations in western Russia both for attack and carrying airborne troops.
Paras have been spotted in the regions of Belgorod, the Nizhny Novgorod region, and in Tver.
In Oryol region, military equipment believed to be a Buk missile system and a BM-27 Uragan rocket launcher were filmed.
Also in contested Donbas, where there is a 250-mile trench frontier, there are 30,000 heavily armed pro-Russian separatists along with Spetsnaz snipers and Russian special forces.
UKRAINE AIR FORCE
More than 100 warplanes, including attack Sukhoi SU-25 fast jets and MiG-29 multirole fighters, plus around 40,000 troops.
UKRAINE SOUTHERN FLANK
There are several thousand Territorial Army reservists training to fight a guerrilla war alongside the regular army, in cities throughout Ukraine.
The navy has about two frigates and just several thousand sailors.
UKRAINE EASTERN FLANK
Possibly 100,000 fighters entrenched and ready to defend, including artillery positions 20 miles inland, tanks, rocket teams and anti-tank weapons specialists.
RUSSIAN NAVAL STRIKE GROUP
A possible landing force of 4,000 marines based in the Black Sea, ready to attack beaches or towns.
The Naval Strike Group (excluding small missile ships and small antisubmarine ships of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation consists of: Three cruisers, four frigates, two large anti-submarine ships, 13 large landing ships and one large intelligence-gathering ship.
Moskva-class cruisers have the S-300F air defence system with a range of up to 100km equipped with up to 150 missiles.
Frigates have Kalibr cruise missiles, to strike coastal and inland targets with at least 50 missiles, other Kalibr strikes will be directed from corvettes and submarines.
Other vessels can fire 75lb shells for 17 miles.
