A new military bridge has been set up near the Belarus-Ukraine border. (high res: here)

New Delhi:

New satellite images continue to show heightened military activity in Belarus, Crimea and western Russia, dismissing Moscow’s claims that it was withdrawing troops from Ukraine’s border. The US has said that Russia has increased its presence on the border with Ukraine by “as many as 7,000 troops,” some of whom arrived Wednesday.

Maxar’s high-resolution satellite images filmed over the past 48 hours show a new military ponton bridge less than six kilometers from the Belarus-Ukraine border, and deployment of troops and armored equipment in Crimea and western Russia. Self-propelled artillery units were also captured conducting training in Belarus in the satellite images shared by the private US company.

Pre and post construction images of the new military pontoon bridge over the Pripyat river near Belarus-Ukraine border. Click here for high-res image.

The images also show the deployment of ground attack helicopters at forward locations in Belarus. A new, large field hospital was also visible in the latest satellite images shared by Maxar.

The new satellite images captured by a private US company showed a “significant” troop and ground forces units that had been recently deployed to an airfield in Belarus departing from their posts.

Troops and equipment remain deployed in the Opuk training area along the Black Sea coast (Crimea). Click here for high-res image.

The areas where Russia has increased its forces are mostly located in the North and northeast of Ukraine. It also includes a large airbase to the Southeast of Ukraine and in Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.

Though there are signs that Russia may be interested in a diplomatic resolution of the crisis in the Ukraine, there are only a handful of signs that it has started withdrawing its forces from the region.

Troops and equipment remain deployed along Lake Donuzlav and the Novoozernoye area (Crimea). Click here for high-res image.

Russia’s huge build-up of troops, missiles and warships around Ukraine has been billed as Europe’s worst security risk since the Cold War.

Troops and equipment remain deployed throughout the Postoyalye Dvory training area east of Kursk. Click here for high-res image.

NATO has dismissed suggestions that the threat on Ukraine’s border had diminished.

“Moscow has made it clear that it is prepared to contest the fundamental principles that have underpinned our security for decades and to do so by using force,” NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded Ukraine be forbidden from pursuing its ambition to join NATO and wants to redraw the security map of eastern Europe, rolling back Western influence.

Russia’s huge build-up around Ukraine has been billed as Europe’s worst security risk since the Cold War.

But, backed by a threat of crippling US and EU economic sanctions, Western leaders are pushing for a negotiated settlement, and Moscow has signaled it will start to pull forces back.

In the latest such move, the Russian defense ministry said on Wednesday that military drills in Crimea — a Ukrainian region that Moscow annexed in 2014 — had ended and that troops were returning to their garrisons.