Thread by @PaulaChertok

“A deliberate ruse”—#Russia’s announced military pullback from #Ukraine’s border was a deliberate ruse to mislead the US & other world powers, US intel officials washingtonpost.com/world/2022/02/…

🚨US officials now believe #Russia’s pullback announcement & Kremlin-made videos of tanks leaving border was a fake to mask Putin’s true intentions: False flag using chemical agent to immobilize civilians, then use cadavers to make it look like #Ukraine gassed & killed civilians.

Here’s the gruesome intelligence: “a false flag by Russia would involve the use of a chemical agent that would immobilize civilians, then use cadavers to make it appear as though the Ukrainians had gassed and killed civilians.…the blame might also be pinned on Americans.”

Souring diplomacy came as the long-running conflict in eastern #Ukraine heated up. The OSCE observer mission counted 591 cease-fire violations, up from 153 the prior day. Western officials have warned #Russia could use developments in the region as a pretext to invade.

#Russia’s proxy militants rained down artillery, mortar rounds & other munitions at #Ukraine war front. Stanytsia Luhanska village was struck by 32 artillery rounds. One blew a hole thru a kindergarten. Soccer balls were scattered among debris. Three adults suffered concussions.

Here’s @clarissaward’s report from the village of Stanytsia Luhanska, #Ukraine, where a pre-school was struck by #Russia’s proxy militants at 8:45 am, when children & teachers were there.

At UN @SecBlinken listed dire possibilities #Russia could use as pretexts to invade #Ukraine, including staging a chemical weapons attack. Potential false-flag: fabricated terrorist bombing in Russia, fake mass grave, staged drone attack on civilians, fake or real chem attack.

@SecBlinken Blinken's UN speech is worth listening to. That he laid out the stark intelligence, exposing Putin's false flag plans hoping to prevent war, indicates the West had already concluded Russia's pullback was a ruse. Tho Blinken didn't mention it, still holding out hope for diplomacy.