NATO: Russian soldiers are ready for battle and have entered Donbas

Stoltenberg answered journalists' questions at the end of the extraordinary NATO-Ukraine Commission meeting.

Condemning Russia's decision to recognize the so-called Donetsk People's Republic and the so-called Luhansk People's Republic and send troops to the region, Stoltenberg urged Moscow to step back and choose the path of diplomacy.

"We are at the most dangerous moment for Europe's security in a generation." Stoltenberg said that NATO allies will continue to support Ukraine and that Russia has 150,000 soldiers, as well as warplanes and helicopters, in the Crimea and the Donbas region within the borders of Ukraine, as well as on the border line.

Stoltenberg said, "Many Russian military units are now deployed in combat readiness. Troops are out of their camp, on the ground and ready to attack."

Reminding that NATO has sent thousands of additional troops to Eastern Europe for the defense of the allies in recent weeks, Stoltenberg said that more are being kept ready.

Stoltenberg added, "We have more than 100 warplanes on high alert and more than 120 ships in the seas from the North Sea to the Mediterranean. We will continue to do whatever it takes to shield the alliance against aggression."

Reminding that the NATO Response Force had a high level of readiness, Stoltenberg said that this force was not sent to the region.

Stoltenberg said he welcomes the sanctions announced by some NATO allies and Germany's decision to halt the approval process for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

Russia has been in the Donbas since 2014

Stoltenberg conveyed NATO's assessment of Russia's future plans for Ukraine as follows:

"Every indication indicates that Russia is continuing a full-scale attack plan against Ukraine. We see that the military build-up continues. They promised a step back, but they are increasing it. We see that more and more troops are leaving their camps and are ready to attack."

Stating that fake events were produced in the Donbas to be used as a pretext for the attack, Stoltenberg said, "Last night, we saw more Russian soldiers enter the Donbas, parts of Donetsk and Luhansk." used the phrase.

Responding to repeated questions about whether Russian soldiers were in Donbas, Stoltenberg noted, "Russia has been in the Donbas since 2014. This was a covert operation before. Russia denies its existence. For years, the so-called separatists have been controlled and supported by Russian soldiers and special forces. Now we see that. Additional Russian forces entered the Donbas. This only makes the situation more serious."

"Ukraine was already occupied"

"Do you see Russia's last move as the invasion of Ukraine?" Stoltenberg answered the question as follows:

"Russia has already occupied Ukraine. The Russians occupied Ukraine in 2014. They annexed Crimea, which is part of Ukraine. Since 2014, Russian military units have been in Donetsk and Luhask, that is, in Donbas. What we're seeing right now is that an already occupied country is more occupied with more Russian military presence."

More than 150 thousand Russian soldiers

While giving details about Russian military units in and around Ukraine, Stoltenberg said that more than 150,000 Russian soldiers were in the region.

Stoltenberg stated that in addition to this, air and naval forces are deployed in and near Ukraine. He also stated that Russian forces are also located in Belarus, close to the Ukrainian border.

Stoltenberg said, "These units are ready for battle. There are ten thousand combat soldiers. In addition, there are missiles, armored vehicles, tanks, unmanned aerial vehicles, electronic warfare systems, air defense missiles, and many other military possibilities."