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Between Ukraine and Russia, everyone has been building their story since the start of the crisis. That of Vladimir Putin is currently based on a show of force. Where is it on Sunday February 20, and how does Ukraine intend to respond?
Where are the Russian forces positioned on Sunday February 20? “In the east of Ukraine, in Belarus, with the cooperation of the Belarusian authorities, and in the south, in Crimea. For American intelligence, they would be 200,000 Russian soldiers”, says journalist Stéphanie Perez, present on the set of 20 Hours. On satellite images dating from February 15, there are new prepositioned fighter planes. “There would be thousands of tanks and artillery batteries ready to intervene”adds the journalist.
Russia also broadcast images of strategic exercises on Saturday evening: missile launches, in particular hypersonic ones. Faced with this threat, what is the military response capacity of Ukraine, whose democratic positioning is seen as a danger by the Kremlin? “150,000 men in 2022. Nothing to do with 2014, when the conflict started, there were only 6,000 operational soldiers”recalls Stephanie Perez.
All know the terrain, and are motivated to defend their homeland. Part of their equipment, inherited from the time of the Soviet Union, remains obsolete. NATO has invested 12 billion euros to help them modernize. “Overall, the air force or even the navy remain insufficiently equipped”says the journalist.