Fears that Russia is planning to invade Ukraine is dominating the minds of world leaders as the Kremlin continues to build its presence along their shared border. Yesterday, the US’ top official for the United Nations warned that President Vladimir Putin’s amassing of troops is enough evidence to suggest he has “intentions to use them”. US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield made the comments ahead of the UN Security Council meeting on Monday. She said: “The Russians have amassed 100,000 troops along the border, they have moved troops into Belarus, they have continued to escalate despite our efforts to try to find a diplomatic route for them and to encourage them to deescalate it.
The most recent build up of troops has not been the world’s only cause for concern, with Moscow, in December, having deployed a new top-secret weapon described as a “Star Wars” missile by a number of UK-based publications.
Defence sources there told Russian state news agency TASS that the S-550 missile defence system “has entered combat duty”.
The weapon is thought to be capable of destroying targets hundreds of miles above earth such as low-orbit satellites, nuclear warheads, and orbital hypersonic weapons, according to the Daily Mail.
Reports suggest that the weapon was tested in November, and the Kremlin has also staged a flurry of war-games which NATO chiefs feared could be in preparation for a conflict in Ukraine.
At the time, a Russian Defence Ministry source told TASS: “The S-550 air defence system has successfully completed state trials.
“The first S-550 brigade has entered combat duty.”
They described the technology as superior to Western and Chinese capabilities, saying it is “an absolutely new and unrivalled mobile system of strategic missile defence”.
The TASS report added: “In Russia the creation of a space defence system able to intercept the most difficult targets, satellites as well as ballistic missiles, has been in progress for more than ten years.
“For a long time this combat system was known by the Nudol designation.
“Specialists assume that this was precisely the system that successfully destroyed a satellite target during its first combat tests on November 15.
“Experts believe that work on the latest weapon has already been completed, and it can acquire the official designation as the S-550 air defence missile system.”
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Meanwhile, speaking at the UN Security Council, Ms Thomas-Greenfield added: “You don’t amass 100,000 troops if you don’t have intentions to use them.”
“Part of the reason we’re calling for this meeting on Monday is one more opportunity to find a diplomatic way out for the Russians.
“We have made clear that we’re prepared to address our concerns, Ukrainian concerns and Russian concerns at the diplomatic table. But it cannot be done on the battlefield.”