The Drive:

The continued build-up of Russian troops and equipment in areas of the country adjacent to Ukraine has taken a new and potentially more ominous turn with the appearance of additional Iskander-M short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) systems near the border as well as missile reloads being transported in open-top railcars. A recent intelligence assessment from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense states that there are now 36 Iskander launchers close to the frontier, putting these missiles within range of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, as well as many critical military targets within Ukraine. As far as is known, all these launchers are for the Iskander-M, which fires an SRBM, although other variants of the Iskander exist, including the Iskander-K firing a cruise missile.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense’s intel report, which was shared with CNN, suggests that the Russian military build-up is “almost completed,” and points to the Iskander-M, in particular, as a critical weapon system that would likely be used to “destroy vital objects,” should Moscow launch a new offensive against Ukraine, as many now fear…

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