Russian Ministry of Defense: the movement of armor and personnel to the North Korean border is due to routine military exercises
The spokesman for the Eastern Military District, Alexander Gordeyev, stated that all movement of military equipment in the Eastern Military District is planned and related to combat training, reported RIA Novosti.
"All movements of equipment and troops are being conducted in accordance with the combat training plan. An inspection of the district’s troops during the winter training period will last from April 3 to 29. As part of this inspection the military units have been placed on high alert and are conducting marches, including to remote training areas,” Gordeyev pointed out.
He added that 22 exercises were held within the first stage of the inspection. In addition, the military command conducted large-scale maneuvers in the Telemba training ground in Buryatia to improve the management of air defense and aviation units; the equipment is returning from there as well. The servicemen of the artillery units in the Trans-Baikal region have also been redeployed, and military was returning from there.
Earlier, the media reported that Russia was engaged in strengthening of the 17-kilometer border with North Korea, fearing that the United States would attack North Korea and that a flow of refugees would rush into the territory of Russia.
An Internet video has also appeared which shows three trains loaded with military equipment being sent to the Primorsky Territory via Khabarovsk. The press service of the Eastern Military District called the movement of equipment a transfer to areas of inspection after the winter training period. However, experts associate the strengthening of the army's presence on the border with North Korea with a possible Korean-American conflict.