Ukraine’s SBU State Security Service records a build-up of Russian troops on Russia’s border with the Kharkiv region and is preparing countermeasures.

According to Ukrinform, the head of the SBU directorate in the Kharkiv region, Roman Dudin, said this at a meeting in the regional state administration on Wednesday, February 23.

“We see active maneuvering and movement of Russian troops along our borders. We see that their military presence is gradually increasing and there are no elements of troops being pulled back from the state border of Ukraine after so-called exercises,” Dudin said.

At the same time, he stressed a decline in the psychological state of Russian soldiers.

“Today, according to our information, their best tactical group has only 70% of non-faulty equipment. Some 30% of equipment is faulty. We see the morale of the Russian army declining every day,” he added.

He spoke about the lack of food, poor financial conditions and declining salaries in Russian troops, as well as the military’s talk that they do not understand why they should go to Ukraine.

According to Dudin, Russian troops have purchased 45,000 body bags.

“At the same time, I think that according to the ancient Russian tradition, they will bury them just in the field or in these nameless graves,” Dudin said.

He stressed that Kharkiv has worked out all measures to protect the region. The city has special-purpose groups of military intelligence.

© 2022 Ukrinform News