“The information being released today shines a light on the extent of Russian activity designed to subvert Ukraine, and is an insight into Kremlin thinking,” Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement shared with BuzzFeed News.
Summary
- BAKHMUT, Ukraine — Russia has drawn up plans to install a pro-Kremlin former member of parliament to lead Ukraine as it considers a new invasion of the country and the overthrow of its central government, according to a British assessment shared with BuzzFeed News.
- The UK assessment comes as Russia continues to amass troops and heavy weapons around Ukraine, including in Belarus.
- And it follows other ominous warnings from Western governments in recent days about the high possibility of a large-scale attack.
- The Russian Foreign Ministry did not immediately return a request for comment.
- Estimates from other Ukrainian officials put the number of Russian soldiers at 127,000.