Top US general urges vigilance among American troops, fearing Russian attacks

The top US military official has called for increased vigilance among American troops stationed in Europe, saying it remains unclear how Russia might react to its "latest battlefield setbacks" in Ukraine.

During his visit to a US military base in Poland on Sunday, General Mark Milley, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, stressed that the war is "not going too well" for Russia right now, adding that it is "incumbent upon all of us to maintain high states of readiness, alert.”

Milley also noted that Russian plans are unpredictable and the American forces need to be ready for any potential reactions.

“In the conduct of war, you just don't know with a high degree of certainty what will happen next,” Milley said in Warsaw after the base visit. “Because of that, we have to very closely watch what Russia’s reactions to that will be,” Milley added.

The top US military general reviewed the base's air defenses, which include Patriot missile batteries, according to reports.

Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine in late February, following Kiev’s failure to implement the terms of the 2014 Minsk agreements and Moscow’s recognition of the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

At the time, Russian President Vladimir Putin said one of the goals of what he called a “special military operation” was to “de-Nazify” Ukraine.

Russia strikes Ukraine positions after Kiev hit nuclear plant

Russian forces conducted the strikes in the regions of Kherson, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv and Donetsk.

The remarks made by Milley are a reminder of the risks of the conflict intensifying as a result of the US and NATO military assistance to Ukraine despite repeated warnings by Moscow against it.

The military base in Poland provides critical military support for the Ukrainian forces, including remote maintenance assistance via secure teleconferencing for the billions of dollars in US-provided weaponry.

However, in the images that the repair team showed reporters, US-provided arms were heavily hit by Russian forces in Ukraine and were considered beyond the scope of repair in the West.

“They’re not willing to scrap it,” one soldier was quoted as saying, recalling Ukrainian attempts to repair those weapons such as artilleries with shrapnel damages.

“Combat power for Ukraine is staying at the level it is because of America's investment in the sustainment,” the soldier added.

After visiting the base, Milley also reviewed security measures for American forces supporting Ukraine.

“I’m particularly interested in checking things like force protection, to ensure that [US forces] are in an adequate state of readiness in the event of anything ever happening,” he said.

US supplies Ukraine with intel for strikes on Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant: Russian official

The head of Russia’s Security Council says Washington is providing Kiev with crucial intelligence for shelling around Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

The development came on the heels of President Joe Biden hailing the progress made by Ukraine against the Russian forces. However, when he was asked if the counteroffensive marked a turning point in the war, he said the question was “unanswerable.”

“It’s hard to tell,” Biden said on Tuesday. “It’s clear the Ukrainians have made significant progress, but I think it’s going to be a long haul.”

Moscow has brushed off the counter-offensive by Ukraine, with President Vladimir Putin saying on Friday that Moscow would respond more forcefully if its troops were put under further pressure.

Russian troops struck several Ukrainian positions in the wake of shelling by the Ukrainian forces near Europe’s biggest nuclear power plant Zaporizhzhia.

Russia took control of the plant in March. It says its armed forces "don't damage Ukraine's nuclear safety in any way and cause no obstacles to the plant's operation."

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has already called for the establishment of a security and safety zone around the plant.

Russia has also taken control of the Chernobyl nuclear plant, which was the site of the world's worst nuclear crisis in April 1986.

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