Thread by @jseldin

#Russia's ongoing accusations abt US-#Ukraine bio & chemical weapons worrisome, per @DeptofDefense

"We continue to watch for the potential...that they could be banging this drum" as part of a #falseflag op,
per @PentagonPresSec "We don't have firm indications right now"

More: #Russia's foreign ministry and other official accounts have been pumping out a steady stream of accusations vs US about biological & chemical weapons

One of the latest...

"It's already dangerous enough inside #Ukraine...we're constantly concerned abt potential escalation here" per @PentagonPresSec

"We haven't seen any specific indications that there are going to be any imminent insecurity issues...in other regions that we're going to have to address" per @PentagonPresSec

Adds Pentagon is watching just in case

Talk of providing #Ukraine w/#S300 air defense systems - "Sovereign nations are making decisions for themselves on how to help #Ukraine & we respect those sovereign decisions" per @PentagonPresSec

US testing deconfliction line with #Russia a couple of times a day - Russians have picked up "w/maybe a couple of exceptions" per @PentagonPresSec

No conversations btw @SecDef and Russia's DefMim

US expects both #Ukraine & #Russia to abide by #GenevaConvention & "treat any soldiers that are captured humanely" per @PentagonPresSec

US-#Russia deconfliction line - no call from #Moscow to speak of

"It has been us using it to check in once or twice a day" per @PentagonPresSec "We know they know how to use the system"

#Ukraine

"We're not tracking any imminent movement by #Belarus|ian forces" per @PentagonPresSec

#Ukraine-"There's #Russia|n bombardment & shelling going on quite violently as we speak" per @PentagonPresSec "And we do assess that the Russians are beginning to make more momentum on the ground toward #Kyiv particularly from the east..."

Despite #Russia|n missile strikes vs airfields in western #Ukraine, "the vast majority of the combat power that they are exercising in Ukraine, it is in the east...that's where the violence is the worst" per @PentagonPresSec

Concerns abt #Russia-#nuclear status: "This is something we look at every day" per @PentagonPresSec

"We are confident in the strategic deterrent posture that we have in place in order to defend the homeland, our allies & our partners...

"...We've seen nothing that gives us cause or reason to change out deterrent posture at this time" per @PentagonPresSec about #Russia's nuclear forces on high alert

#Russia's chemical/biological weapons capabilities inside #Ukraine - Russia is "a country that has a reputation for using those kinds of weapons on people, & we know they have a program" per @PentagonPresSec

"We continue to watch for the potential-& I want to stress the word potential-potential that they [#Russia] could be banging this drum w/the intent of creating some sort of #falseflag event that they could use as an excuse to escalate the conflict even more" per @PentagonPresSec