US Official Says 80 Percent Of Russian Troops Around Ukraine Are Ready To Strike

Illustration of a Russian tank after a military exercise near the Ukrainian border. (Source: Russian Ministry of Defense/Evgeny Polovodov/Dmitry Gutov)

JAKARTA - Russian President Vladimir Putin has put 80 percent of the troops he has amassed in a position to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a senior US defense official said Wednesday.

"He is as prepared as he can be," the official told reporters, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The remarks added to the impression of a possible Russian military strike, challenging the idea that Washington expected President Putin to quit after recognizing the independence of two rebel territories backed by Moscow this week.

"They have increased their readiness to the point where they are really ready to move, now, if they get the request," the official said, without providing evidence to support the statement.

Previously, the United States had assessed more than 150,000 Russian troops gathered around Ukraine. The senior US official said Russian troops had taken ready positions, with some just 5 kilometers (three miles) from the Ukrainian border.

Russian troops are mostly ground troops, including more than 120 battalions of tactical groups. But President Putin has also deployed more than two dozen warships in the Black Sea, including a landing craft with Marines on board, and counts a significant artillery and missile troop, the official said.

To date, the Russian military has amassed nearly 100 percent of the troops the United States anticipates will mobilize for a large-scale attack, the official said.

The United States has been troubled by indications that Russia is planning to mobilize its reserves.

"We have indications that they plan to use reserves and on par with the National Guard. And that's worrying, because that would connote our, long-term goal," the official said.