Today's D Brief: Ukraine, Russia escalate; Chinese fishing boats, unwanted; Small carrier, unneeded?; Lessons from Suez; And a bit more.
By Ben Watson
March 31, 2021 10:42 AM ET
The D Brief
Ukraine says Russia is massing troops on its border, and “pro-Moscow separatists were systematically violating a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine,†Reuters reports from Moscow — the same day Kiev’s parliament officially declared an “escalation†in the east.
Just now catching up? “The war in eastern Ukraine...has escalated sharply in recent days,†the New York Times’ Andrew Kramer reported Tuesday from Moscow. “[F]our Ukrainian soldiers were killed and another seriously wounded in a battle against Russian-backed separatists in the Donetsk Region,†Kramer writes.
What’s more, “the U.S. military’s European Command raised its watch level from possible crisis to potential imminent crisis — the highest level — in response to the deployment of the additional Russian troops.†New equipment has been seen among the Russian-backed rebels, too; artillery fire has increased as well. “And Russian negotiators have warned of a breakdown in peace talks that have been dragging on for years,†the Times reports.
https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2021/03/the-d-brief-march-31-2021/173039/
