The UK Says Russia Is Planning To Overthrow Ukraine’s Government And Install A Pro-Kremlin Leader

Authored by buzzfeednews.com and submitted by DissentingJay
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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 assessment, provided by the UK Foreign Office, alleges that Russian intelligence officers currently involved in the planning for an attack on Ukraine are also collaborating with several former Ukrainian officials who fled to Moscow in winter 2014 and are looking to return to positions of power in their homeland.

“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.

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.

For its part, Russia has denied it's preparing to again invade Ukraine. The Russian Foreign Ministry did not immediately return a request for comment.

In an exclusive interview with BuzzFeed News on Saturday, Lieutenant-General Oleksandr Pavliuk, head of the Joint Forces Operation in eastern Ukraine, expressed serious concern over Russia's military moves. He said that Russia currently has more than 106,000 soldiers positioned along its western border who are ready to invade his homeland — with more troops on their way. Estimates from other Ukrainian officials put the number of Russian soldiers at 127,000.

BlueSuedeBag on January 23rd, 2022 at 00:00 UTC »

I wish Putin would just go away.

Sir_roger_rabbit on January 22nd, 2022 at 23:18 UTC »

Could not even win 5% of the vote in the last election and this is putins guy to lead?

Well I guess he is forecast to win 105% of the vote after Russian "vote observers" are used he will do.... They are the same observers who covered the last five elections putin won.

Anyone who disagrees falls out of top floor window by accident

AdvancedAdvance on January 22nd, 2022 at 23:15 UTC »

Time to stop fucking around threatening Russia with sanctions or military action and use some threats with some teeth -- banning Russia for life from EuroVision.