Ukraine mobilizes elite offensive forces on Russia’s border amid calls for US intervention (Pictures)

Amid an ongoing game of brinkmanship being played out by Kiev, Ukraine has deployed some of its most elite offensive units on Russia’s western border whilst at the same time calling for US military intervention in what still remains a mostly political crisis.

As announced by Ukrainian military and political officials on Wednesday, Ukraine has moved several key formations of airborne assault troops and all their heavy equipment to “dangerous” parts of the country’s border with Russia.

Unlike other brigades of the Ukrainian Army which are counted on for national defense, the country’s airborne assault formations exist as offensive forces. The troops are some of the best trained and their tactical doctrine is aggressive.

With the assault troops came air support in the form of Su-27 long-range fighters armed with a full array of air-to-air weapons – completing the image of this display of mobilization.

The deployment of these troops comes amid renewed calls by Kiev for US air and naval forces to intervene in the Azov Sea area and threaten the Russian military with confrontation. Whilst the US has stated that it will send in at least one warship into the Black Sea, whether or not American naval vessels enter the Kerch Strait – as requested by Kiev – is another story.

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