80% of Russian forces near Ukraine borders ready to go in Ukraine: US official

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US assesses that around 80% of Russian forces near Ukraine’s borders are ready to go into Ukraine, a senior defense official said Wednesday.

The official told reporters via a teleconference that the US cannot confirm Russian military forces had moved into the Donbas areas in eastern Ukraine.

"We assess that the Russian military forces arrayed around Ukraine and Belarus are as ready as they can be," said the official.

*Kasim Ileri contributed to the story