NPR:
The Biden administration on Thursday accused Moscow of planning a staged mass casualty event on Russia by Ukraine, in order to justify a further Russian invasion of its former Soviet neighbor.
State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that the intelligence had been newly declassified and presented to the press corps in the hopes that its publication would deter Russia from following through on the planned false-flag operation.
“The United States has information that Russia is planning to stage fabricated attacks by Ukrainian military or intelligence forces as a pretext for a further invasion of Ukraine,” Price said in a Thursday briefing to reporters.
See also: Senators Worry Russia Will Invade Ukraine Before They Finalize Sanctions Bill