New Delhi:
Satellite imagery of Russian deployments in Belarus, Crimea and western Russia show massive build-up of forces as tensions rise over a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Maxar collected recent satellite images of Crimea, Belarus and western Russia that reveal a number of significant new military deployments across the region including the following.
In Crimea, a large new deployment of troops and equipment was seen on February 10 at Oktyabrskoye airfield. More than 550 troop tents and hundreds of vehicles have arrived at this abandoned airfield north of Simferopol.
New troops and equipment also recently arrived near Novoozernoye on the shores of Lake Donuzlav; extensive artillery deployments and training activity was seen nearby at Novoozernoye and a new deployment was identified near the town of Slavne, on the northwest coast of the Crimean peninsula.
In Belarus, a new deployment of troops, military vehicles and helicopters was identified at Zyabrovka airfield near Gomel, less than 25 km from the border with Ukraine. Additionally, troops and multiple battle group remain field deployed near the city of Rechitsa – less than 45 km from the border with Ukraine.
In western Russia, a large deployment of troops and military forces have recently arrived at the Kursk training area to the east of the city – approximately 110 km to the east of the border with Ukraine. Additional equipment continues to arrive in the area and preparations are being made to accommodate more troops and equipment.
Efforts to defuse the crisis in Ukraine via a frenzy of telephone diplomacy failed to ease tensions Saturday, with US President Joe Biden warning that Russia faces “swift and severe costs” if its troops carry out an invasion.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin slammed Western claims that Moscow was planning such a move as “provocative speculation” that could lead to conflict in the ex-Soviet country, according to a Russian readout of a call with French President Emmanuel Macron, news agency AFP reported.