Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin has reportedly placed the forces of the Western Military District were on alert at 1400 (0500 ET) for surprise drills today. The Western District is one of the four operational strategic commands of the Russian Federation and comprises much of western Russia and the border along Ukraine.
Russia views Ukraine as a strategic buffer between itself and NATO Nations. Ukraine is not a NATO nation, but was made a candidate nation in 2008.
Following his election as president, Viktor Yanukovych shelved Ukraine’s plans to join NATO and in a June 3, 2010 vote the Ukrainian parliament voted against “integration into Euro-Atlantic security and NATO membership”.
Yanukovych declared Ukraine would remain a non-aligned nation but Ukraine did conduct joint military drills with NATO and cooperated on security. Some view the eagerness of the European Union and Western powers for Ukraine to join the EU as an attempt to bring Ukraine into the NATO fold.
Russia’s Defense Minister, Sergey Shoigu, announced President Putin has ordered him to
“test combat readiness of troops in dealing with crisis situations that threaten the military security of the country, as well as with antiterrorist, sanitary and epidemiological, or technogenic situations”
The drills are scheduled to occur from February 26th to March 3rd and have no connection to the situation in Ukraine according to Russian officials.
Amid the announcement, the situation in Crimea worsens with at least one dead as pro-Kiev and pro-Moscow protestors clash. The BBC has comprehensive coverage of the unfolding events in the Ukraine Crimea.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/26/us-ukraine-crisis-russia-military-idUSBREA1P0RW20140226
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