[alkonaut]

What numbers are identical? The Russian movement is completely unprecedented since the end of the Cold War. Moving massive numbers of MD East units all to over Belarus over the last days and weeks is an enormous logistical display by Russia.

[guerrilla]

There were between 80,000 and 120,000 not including the rebels that they support within Ukraine.[1]

1. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-reach-over-12000...

[alkonaut]

Yes and that was mostly on the eastern border. Now there is (at least?) twice that including massive movement (200 trains us a number circulating now) of troops and equipment from as far as the eastern military district all the way to Belarus.

For comparison the whole Zapad excercise was ~30 trains.

[guerrilla]

I don't know where you're getting your information, all of Western news has agreed on approximately 100,000 until recent movements.

[alkonaut]

Yes, I'm talking about the recent movements (North of Ukraine, from the eastern MD mostly). Which are of course extremely uncertain. And all that is seen is obviously trains with vehicles, not troops - so reports of e.g. "100k troops" are referring to (I'm assuming) the number of vehcicles, whether or not the troops have arrived or not, as they arrive later than the vehciles on the train. Keeping people fed and housed when waiting is a lot harder and more expensive than keeping tanks and APCs parked.

[guerrilla]

Yeah, definitely. My original point was about before the recent movements though (I exaggerated by saying "yesterday".) Everyone was squawking about 100k as if it were new.