NATO commander: Russia reinforcing military might in Crimea, unclear if nuclear weapons there

Published November 11, 2014

NAPLES, Italy NATO's top commander says Russia is reinforcing its bases in disputed Crimea, but there is no clear assessment of whether that includes deployment of nuclear weapons.

U.S. Gen. Philip Breedlove said Tuesday that Russian forces "capable of being nuclear" are being moved to the Crimean Peninsula, but NATO doesn't know if nuclear weapons are actually in place.

Breedlove also told news agencies at a NATO base near Naples that about eight Russian battalion task groups have been sighted along the border between Ukraine and Russia. Russian-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian soldiers in eastern Ukraine despite a cease-fire proclaimed weeks ago.

Last week, Breedlove said Russia was discussing plans to put aircraft in Crimea, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine earlier this year.

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NATO commander: Russia reinforcing military might in Crimea, unclear if nuclear weapons there