The Ukraine Russia border is over 1400 miles long.
WHERE along that border are these 20,000 troops? Despite the hysteria, 20,000 troops in a country as large as Ukraine isn’t going to do much. And I’ll bet they aren’t aligned toward Kiev.
Donetsk or Kherson, where there have been clashes between Russians and Ukrainian nationalists, however?
“Clashes between Russians and Ukrainian nationalists”... means provocations by Russian paid provocateurs, you mean. People I know there say that most natives and Russian transplants get along well, except for Putin’s agents.
Ever Heard of Spetnaz? They can do some pretty good damage against any army...