Reiterate all concerns about the upcoming referendum on Sunday, when Crimea will go to the polls to vote for annexation to Russia.
Meanwhile, this morning, a massive cyber attack carried out by some unknown hackers sent the sites of the Russian presidential administration and the central bank crashed. This is what we learn from the Ria Novosti. The Bank of Russia website remained offline for about an hour. Shortly after the 15, the two websites were restored.
Finally from the US base in Aviano, Italy, twelve F-16 took off this morning
THE DEFINED FORCES
UNITED STATES: six F-15C fighters from the Lakenheath base in England reached the Lask base last week, at 100 miles from Warsaw, which became the main point of American advanced redeployment by the 2012. Twelve F-16 reached Poland a few hours ago: fighters took off from the US base in Aviano, Italy. The Arleigh Burke class destroyer "USS Truxtun" of the battle group (Carrier Strike Group) of the aircraft carrier "USS George HW Bush", is carrying out exercises on the coasts of Romania, about 220 kilometers from the Crimea. Unknown submarine force, but present. The Sixth US Fleet based in Italy, formed by the Nimitz aircraft carrier "USS George HW Bush" with about 50 Hornet E / F fighter on board, by the USS Roosevelt destroyer, by the USS Philippine Sea cruiser armed with Tomahawk missiles and by a nuclear-powered attack submarine is ready to intervene. In the Mediterranean, USS Arleigh Burke and USS Donald Cook are located near the Spanish coasts. The US could also deploy a powerful assault force formed by 2,400 Marines, thanks to the USS Bataan Rapid Amphibious Intervention Group, which arrived in Spain last February for an eight-month deployment. In Vicenza, finally, there are three thousand soldiers of the 173a Airborne Brigade.
The Pentagon does not have a specific anti-tank component and the White House knows this. Because of the cuts in fact, from the German base in Spangdahlem, the Air Force suppressed the 21 A-10 deployed last year. They were the last "warthogs" in Europe. The crisis in Crimea also worries in the future because the cuts to the American defense (by the 2015 the Air Force will cut 500 aircraft), received with enthusiasm until a few days ago, are now beginning to be looked at with suspicion, considering the turbulent global context . The US, however, specify that the aircraft withdrawn abroad will only be 47.
NATO: two Awacs continue to monitor the evolution of the situation, carrying out aerial patrols on Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
RUSSIA: the 98a Airborne Division made up of four thousand paratroopers supported by an unknown number of heavy vehicles, is on alert from 72 hours. In an exercise, which took place this morning, 350 paratroopers simulated an assault at an enemy airport, then preparing the latter for airborne invasion forces. The exercise took place in the New Siberia Islands archipelago. 16 Mig-29K were deployed at the Russian air base in Eerebuni, Armenia. Expected the redeployment of 18 attack helicopters, even if there is no definite information. Six Su-27 Flanker fighters have landed at the Baranavicy airbase in Belarus. Belarus (which had requested at least twelve fighters) already hosts four Su-27, as required by the joint protection agreement between the two countries, signed in the 2009. On paper, the Su-27, one of the masterpieces of Russian engineering, is far superior to Western fighters deployed in Poland. Four strategic Tu-95MS bombers, shortly after the 16, took off from the Ukrainka base for a patrol of 24 hours on the Arctic Ocean. Unknown Russian submarine force, but present. At Kapustin Yar, located about 450 kilometers east of the border with Ukraine, 3.500 soldiers and various air defense systems (S-300, SA-17 "Grizzly" and most likely SA-21) were deployed Growler "). On the border with Ukraine there are, according to some sources, ten to 25 thousand Russian soldiers. Officially, these units are carrying out military exercises falling in the southern military district, but it seems clear that an invasion of Crimea (as happened in Georgia in the 2008) remains among Moscow's options.
Franco Iacch
