Russia Announces Surprise Military Drills in South

[inanna]

Source: New York Times

FEB. 8, 2016

MOSCOW — Russia’s Defense Ministry announced a surprise military exercise on Monday that ordered troops garrisoned throughout the nation’s southern region to full combat readiness, a move that appeared intended to unnerve neighbors.

State television showed pilots clambering into their airplanes in snowy airfields and officers unfurling maps and speaking on telephones. The exercise began at 5 a.m.

“From that moment, we began our surprise check of the military preparedness in the southwest strategic direction,” Sergei K. Shoigu, the defense minister, said in comments carried on state television

<snip>

The training put on alert troops in Russia’s southern military district, an area that includes the stretch of border with separatist regions in eastern Ukraine.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/09/world/europe/russia-announces-surprise-military-drills-in-south.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0

[MBS]

1. Shudder. n/t

[uhnope]

2. looks like Poroshenko was right: Russia still sending troops, weapons to east Ukraine

[link:http://news.yahoo.com/russia-still-sending-troops-weapons-east-ukraine-poroshenko-165300098.html|Russia still sending troops, weapons to east Ukraine: Poroshenko
Yahoo News-Feb 1, 2016]

http://news.yahoo.com/russia-still-sending-troops-weapons-east-ukraine-poroshenko-165300098.html

[One_Life_To_Give]

3. Region closest to Turkey

Sending the Turks a message I presume?