The Commander-in-Chief of the Ukraine Armed Forces said in a joint statement with the Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov that Ukraine is ready for a Russian invasion, saying “Welcome to hell.”

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry said in a statement that about 420,000 Ukrainian soldiers and their superior officers are “ready to die” as the country is gathering more military personnel in the capital Kyiv.

This comes as the United States said that Russia will likely attack Ukraine before the end of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, as US President Joe Biden warned his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that Russia will pay “the ultimate price” if it invades.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated that unlike what happened in Crimea in 2014, the Ukrainian armed forces are ready to fight off Russian aggression.

He also added that the people of Ukraine have a firm trust in the state and the military, stressing that Ukraine along with its allies is united against Russia’s escalation.

The statement pointed out that Ukraine has the strongest support from its global partners since its independence, especially in defensive weaponry.

The Defense Ministry said that up until this moment, it received two tons of modern arms, ammunition, and bulletproof armor.

Washington and its allies said that around 130,000 Russian troops were deployed around Ukraine and Belarus. However, Moscow denied these claims.