KIEV — More than 200 military vehicles — including tanks and missile carriers — flanked by ranks of troops are being prepared for Ukraine’s largest-ever military parade on Wednesday.
The martial tone of Ukraine’s independence day celebrations isn’t unexpected. Two years ago, the date marked a large-scale offensive by Russian-backed forces in eastern Ukraine, while last year, late August saw another upsurge in violence.
The worry is that the same thing will happen again this year.
In Kremlin-annexed Crimea, Russian forces conducted military exercises this week. Video footage showed soldiers and heavy machinery making amphibious beachhead landings.
Fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists …read more
Source: POLITICO – Europe Edition
