Poland Preparing Political Pretext to Occupy Western Ukraine - Shoigu

Warsaw is planning to establish a regular Polish-Ukrainian union for subsequent occupation of Western Ukraine and announced its intention to build "the strongest army" in Europe, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Wednesday.

Poland has become the main instrument of the US anti-Russian policy and declares its intention to build "the most powerful army" in Europe, for this purpose Warsaw has started large-scale arms purchases from the US, the UK and South Korea, Sergei Shoigu said at a meeting of the board of the Russian Defense Ministry.

"In addition, there are plans to create on a regular basis a so-called Polish-Ukrainian compound, ostensibly to ensure the security of western Ukraine, and in fact - for the subsequent occupation of this territory," Shoigu added.

Threats to Russia's military security from the western and northwestern strategic directions have significantly grown, Shoigu said.

"In the western and northwestern strategic directions, the threats to the military security of Russia have increased manifold," Shoigu said during a meeting of the board of the military department.

Finland's accession into NATO, and Sweden's in the future, is a serious destabilizing factor, the minister added.

NATO forces and strike weapons capable of hitting critical targets deep in the northwestern regions of Russia may be deployed in Finland, Sergei Shoigu added.

"Additional military contingents and strike weapons of NATO capable of hitting critical targets in northwestern Russia to a considerable depth may be deployed on the Finnish territory," Shoigu said during a meeting of the board of the military department.

The readiness of Western countries to invest significant resources in Ukraine creates risks of further escalation of the conflict, Shoigu stressed.

"The readiness of the West to invest in Ukraine a significant part of the available resources in order to turn the situation on the battlefield in its favor creates serious risks of further escalation of the conflict," Shoigu said during a meeting of the board of the military department.

The total amount of assistance from NATO, the European Union and their partners to Ukraine has exceeded $160 billion since February 2022, Russian Defense Minister said.

"Since ... February [2022], Ukraine has received hundreds of tanks, more than 4,000 armored combat vehicles and armored vehicles, more than 1,000 field artillery pieces, as well as dozens of modern Western-made multiple launch rocket systems and anti-aircraft missile systems. The total amount of assistance from NATO, the European Union and their partners exceeded $160 billion," Shoigu said during a meeting of the board of the military department.

The US is raising stakes, seeking to supply Ukraine with weapons reaching targets at a longer range, the minister said, adding that Washington committed a war crime by including cluster munitions prohibited by the international convention in the aid package to Ukraine.

"NATO countries are currently actively working on the issue of transferring F-16 tactical fighters to Kiev," the official added.

Russia will reinforce existing groupings of troops of the armed forces on its western borders, Shoigu said.

"Today, at a meeting of the board, we will consider issues related to the creation of the Leningrad and Moscow military districts with the simultaneous strengthening of the groupings of troops of the Russian armed forces on our western borders," Shoigu said during a meeting of the board of the military department, noting that Western states are waging a proxy war against Russia.

The West has deployed about 360,000 military personnel and 8,000 armored vehicles near the borders of the Union State of Russia and Belarus, Russian Defense Minister stressed.

"Taking into account the armed forces of the Eastern European countries, about 360,000 military personnel, 8,000 armored vehicles, 6,000 artillery systems and mortars, 650 aircraft and helicopters are deployed in the immediate vicinity of the borders of the Union State," Shoigu said during a meeting of the board of the military department.

Since February 2022, the number of formations of non-regional states of NATO has increased 2.5 times and exceeded 30,000 people, the minister added.