On February 10, a large number of troops and equipment were seen at Crimea's Oktyabrskoye airfield.
Efforts to defuse the crisis in Ukraine via a frenzy of telephone diplomacy have so far failed to ease tensions, with US President Joe Biden warning that Russia faces "swift and severe costs" if its troops proceed with an invasion. Several European countries are still in talks with Moscow, making diplomatic efforts to defuse tension.
Western leaders consider the Russian troop build-up to be the worst threat to the continent's security since the Cold War and have prepared a crippling package of economic sanctions in response to any attack on Ukraine -- although Moscow has repeatedly said it has no such plans.
In recent weeks, Ukraine has received planeloads of military aid from NATO country allies to shore up its defences. On Sunday, Ukraine received its first shipment of Stinger anti-aircraft missiles.
