[Cyprus Times] LIVE: The Russians are preparing for an attack on Donbas. Thousands of extra soldiers outside Kharkiv.

Live update - Minute by minute developments in Ukraine - Russian troops in the east of the country -

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Thousands of additional Russian troops are massing on the outskirts of the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, a senior US Defense Department official said.

The number of Russian army tactical units near the town of Belgorod, a few dozen kilometers from the border between the two countries, has increased from 30 to 40, the official said last night. He did not specify the number of additional troops, but said Russian battalions usually consist of 600 to 1,000 soldiers.

The Russian military is gathering forces to launch an operation to seize the Donbass region, the U.S. Defense Department official estimated.

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