A US Air Force transport plane transporting military equipment and troops is unloaded at the Rzeszow-Jasionka airport in southeastern Poland, on Feb 6, 2022. (JANEK SKARZYNSKI / AFP)
WARSAW – A plane carrying US soldiers landed in southern Poland on Sunday, on US President Joe Biden's order to deploy additional US troops to Poland, Romania and Germany this week, amid rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
The 1,700 US soldiers sent to Poland will operate in the country's eastern-southern part, according to the Polish Defense Ministry.
Logistics, equipment and a handful of soldiers arrived on other planes on Friday and Saturday.
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine are growing as the Western countries are stepping up military maneuvers near the Russian borders.
ALSO READ: No intention of putting US or NATO troops in Ukraine, says Biden
Kiev and its Western allies have accused Russia of amassing troops near the Ukrainian border, further pointing to the possibility of an "invasion." Moscow has denied such claims, adding that it had every right to mobilize troops within its borders and defend its national security.
