Austin: Moscow should explain its troop buildup near Ukraine

By ROBERT BURNS
AP National Security Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says the U.S. government is unsure why Russian President Vladimir Putin is building up military forces near the border with eastern Ukraine. Austin says it is another example of troubling military moves that demand an explanation from Moscow. At a Pentagon news conference, Austin also criticized Russia for using a missile to shoot down one of its old satellites on Monday, an action that created hundreds of pieces of space debris that U.S. officials have said will be a long-term hazard to space operations.