An American company confirmed, on Sunday, that satellite images show new deployments of Russian military forces and equipment on the Ukrainian border.
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The images show “multiple new field deployments of armored equipment and troops” from military positions located in forests and fields 14 to 30 kilometers from the Russian-Ukrainian border, US satellite imagery firm Maxar said in an email.
These new photos taken on Sunday apparently show tracks of vehicles crossing snow-covered fields, surrounded by forests and surrounded by roads. You can also see many buildings.
Analysis of images from Sunday and other images taken on February 13 indicate movements of troops and equipment near three locations in southwest Russia, according to the Colorado-based company.
“Today, most of the combat units and support equipment in Solotti have left the place and one can see many vehicle tracks and a few convoys of armored equipment throughout the area,” Maksar explained.
Some equipment has also been deployed east of the nearby town of Valoiki, Russia, in a field about 15 kilometers north of the Ukrainian border.
In addition, a number of new deployments were seen on the ground northwest of Belgorod (about 30 kilometers from the border with Ukraine), with a lot of equipment and troops located in or near forest areas.
“Other company-sized units are spread across agricultural and/or industrial areas.”
In recent weeks, Russia has stationed more than 150,000 troops near the Ukrainian border, according to estimates by the United States and its Western allies, raising Washington’s fears of an imminent invasion of Ukraine.
40 to 50% (of troops) in an attack position. “They have deployed to a tactical gathering over the past 48 hours,” a US official told reporters on Friday, insisting on anonymity.
Moscow denies any plans to attack but demands guarantees that Ukraine will not join NATO and that Western powers will withdraw their forces from Eastern Europe, which the United States and its allies reject.
