ImageUkrainian soldiers assessing the damage after a kindergarten in Stanitsa Luhanska was hit by shelling on Thursday.Credit…Lynsey Addario for The New York Times
KYIV, Ukraine — Tensions between Russia and the West ratcheted up on Friday as Moscow announced plans to test nuclear-capable missiles and held war games on NATO’s doorstep in Belarus, while the United States said more Russian forces continued to take positions menacing Ukraine in a crisis that risks erupting into the biggest conflict in Europe in decades.
As President Biden prepared to speak with NATO allies on Friday, U.S. officials said that as many as 190,000 Russian troops were arrayed in and near Ukraine, a number that includes Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. The officials also repeated warnings that Moscow would try to manufacture a provocation by Ukraine to justify an invasion of its smaller neighbor.
Mr. Biden will speak publicly about the troop…
