Russia deploys its army at Ukraine border ahead of Ukraine's anti-aircraft misssile tests

Moscow: Ukrainian test-fired a staggering 16 ‘S-300’ medium-range missiles ignoring Russia’s threat. Ukraine President Poroshenko hinted that these tests could be viewed as a preparatory measure if there was an attempted infiltation by the Russian Army in Ukraine. A few hours prior to these tests, Russia had deployed 55 thousand soldiers on the Russian-Ukrainian border and had dispatched its destroyers towards Crimea.

Since the past few days, there have been army gatherings in the southern borderline areas of Ukraine. Reports of Ukraine planning to perform a series of such missile tests back to back were published. It is also being said that the Ukrainian military would be testing the ‘S-300’ missiles during these tests which are from the Soviet-Russian period. Likewise, it is being claimed that these missiles could be launched from Ukraine into the Russian annexed Crimean airspace.

Russia had threatened Ukraine on these grounds. Russia had forewarned that there will be dire consequences if any of the missiles violate Crimea’s airspace during these tests. The Ukrainian army clarified that the Russian boundries would not be violated due to these missile tests. It also disclosed that by testing these anti-aircraft missile systems, it would be evaluating the standard of its arms inventory.

However, within a few hours Ukraine caused a state of tumoil by carrying out the missile tests. The Ukrainian army was to launch the ‘S-300’ anti-aircraft missles for two days straight and test-fired 16 missiles late Thursday as per the information released by Ukraine’s defence ministry. The Defence Minister ‘Stepan Poltorak’ clearly stated that Ukraine may perform some more tests on Friday as well. Poltorak informed that the ‘S-300’ had accurately hit its target.

The Ukrainian President corroborated the missile testing within a few minutes following the tests. President Poroshenko proclaimed that these tests conveyed a clear message that the Ukrainian army is prepared to counter any aggression from Russia. He said that after Crimea’s partition, their government formed a completely new Ukrainian army. President Poroshenko made an inciting statement by saying that this new army is capable of giving a curt response to infiltration by Russian soldiers. After this warning made by the Ukrainian President was released, Russia proclaimed that if Ukraine’s missiles violated the Russian Airspace, the Russian army will destroy them.

Even before the Ukrainian president’s warning was published, Russia had made some major military movements along the Ukraine border as well as in Crimea. According to the information released by the Russian President’s office, 55 thousand troops have been deployed at the eastern boundries of Ukraine. Earlier, Russia had deployed 7500 soldiers at these borderline areas. Apart from this, Russia has also dispatched its destroyers equipped with anti-ballistic missile systems for Crimea’s protection. These destroyers deployed at the ‘Black sea’ are equipped to counter Ukrainian aggression warns Russia in a published report.

Meanwhile, due to the deployment of Russian troops and the missile tests carried out at the Ukranian borders, the unrest in eastern European nations has increased considerably.