Biden orders 3,000 more US troops to Poland: Official

WASHINGTON

US President Joe Biden ordered 3,000 more troops to be deployed to Poland amid fears about possible Russian aggression against Ukraine, a senior defense official said Friday.

"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, North Carolina, the official said in a statement.

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

"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," said the statement. Nearly two-thirds of the first tranche has arrived.

"The 300 members of the 18th Airborne Corps headquarters element that the Secretary ordered to Germany have also arrived in-country.

"All told, these 5,000 additional personnel comprise a highly mobile and flexible force, capable of multiple missions," it said.

Earlier, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Russia could invade Ukraine at any time and the invasion could begin with aerial bombings and missile attacks, followed by a ground invasion.