Russia has entrenched itself in Eastern Ukraine to the extent that it has established training centers there to develop additional militia fighters, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
The news of the training sites — suggesting Russia is playing a longer game in the Ukraine — came amid renewed dialogue among Russia, Ukraine and mediators France and Germany to discuss further terms of the Minsk agreement, which called for a ceasefire and the withdrawal of heavy weapons on both sides from Eastern Ukraine. Russia has not complied with the terms of the ceasefire.
Russian-backed militia “continue to maintain advanced surface-to-air missiles near the front line,” Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren said. “We’ve seen that they have command and control elements inside of Ukraine.
“In fact we know that the Russians have actually set up some training centers inside of Eastern Ukraine, where they are helping to train these Russian-backed separatists.”
Warren said the Russian forces are training separatist militias in gunnery and artillery firing drills at the sites, but provided few other details.
U.S. troops are also now in the Ukraine. Members of the 173rd Airborne Brigade arrived in Western Ukraine late last week, Stars and Stripes reported, to deliver vehicles and cargo that the U.S. and allies will use to help Ukraine’s defense forces improve their odds against the Russian-trained militias.
Despite the renewed dialogue, Russia has continued to entrench itself in Ukraine and provoke its European neighbors through a series of aggressive air and sea maneuvers.
In response, U.S. and allies are countering the Russian moves through a series of air, land and sea exercises under Operation Atlantic Resolve to bolster NATO military presence in the Eastern European countries that border Russia.
On Tuesday, Canada announced it was sending several hundred trainers to support the development of Ukraine’s defense forces.
