Washington [US], February 12 (ANI/Sputnik): US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered sending 3,000 more soldiers to Poland, the Pentagon confirmed amid mounting tensions around Ukraine.

During a White House briefing earlier in the day, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan claimed that Russia might attack Ukraine "at any time," including during the Olympics, and would likely begin with an air assault. Moscow has repeatedly denied having any intention of attacking Ukraine.

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"At the direction of the President, Secretary Austin today ordered to Poland the remaining 3,000 soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Infantry Brigade Combat Team based at Fort Bragg, NC," a spokesperson said in a statement e-mailed to Sputnik on Friday.

The troops will depart Fort Bragg over the next couple days, and are expected to be in place by early next week.

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"This second tranche of Airborne soldiers will join in Poland the first tranche of 1,700 soldiers and key enablers that Secretary Austin ordered there on February 2nd. Nearly two-thirds of this first tranche has already arrived," the official said.

The deployment is temporary in nature, according to the statement.

The 300 members of the 18th Airborne Corps headquarters element that Austin ordered to Germany have also arrived in-country, it added.

By deploying these 5,000 additional highly mobile and flexible personnel, the Pentagon reassures NATO allies in its commitment to deter potential aggression against the alliance's eastern flank, the statement added.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, commenting on US decision on Friday, said that the White House hysteria is more indicative than ever. (ANI/Sputnik)

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