"Moreover, there are plans to create a regular Polish-Ukrainian union allegedly for ensuring the security of Western Ukraine, but in fact for the subsequent occupation of this territory," the defense minister pointed out.
"Taking into account the armed forces of the Eastern European countries, about 360,000 military personnel, 8,000 armored vehicles, 6,000 artillery systems and mortars, 650 aircraft and helicopters are deployed in the immediate vicinity of the borders of the Union State," Shoigu noted.
"The readiness of the West to invest in Ukraine a significant part of the available resources in order to turn the situation on the battlefield in its favor creates serious risks of further escalation of the conflict," he stressed.
"In the western and northwestern strategic directions, the threats to the military security of Russia have increased manifold," Shoigu mentioned.
"Additional military contingents and strike weapons of NATO capable of hitting critical targets in northwestern Russia to a considerable depth may be deployed on the Finnish territory," he outlined.
"Today, at a meeting of the board, we will consider issues related to the creation of the Leningrad and Moscow military districts with the simultaneous strengthening of the groupings of troops of the Russian armed forces on our western borders," Shoigu said.