Recent images captured by satellite show the Russian military’s new deployment in areas near the Ukrainian border, amid fears that Russia is about to invade Ukraine. On Tuesday, the Russian parliament voted in favour to allow President Vladimir Putin to use the army outside the nation to support separatists in Ukraine.
The images, collected by Maxar over the last 24 hours, shows the deployment and movement of additional logistics and supplies in southern Belarus and at multiple sites in western Russia near the Ukrainian border.
The recent activity includes over 100 vehicles and dozens of troops tents at a small airfield near Mozyr in southern Belarus. The airfield is located less than 40 kilometres from the Ukraine border.
A huge area is being cleared for additional posting near Pochep in the Western region of Russia. A new field hospital has also been set up at a military garrison on the western Belgorod. Several new troops, as well as equipment, have been deployed in rural areas southwest of Belgorod, less than 20 kilometres from the border of Ukraine.
Heavy equipment transporters (HETs), which are basically used for transporting tanks, artillery, and heavy equipment, were seen approximately 40 kilometres to the east of the border with Ukraine.
Along with this, over 150,000 soldiers have been deployed near the border of Ukraine in recent weeks, the United States and Western allies have estimated, with Washington warning an invasion is imminent.
In reply, several countries, including the United States, have enforced sanctions on Russia. The US is also deploying its troops into NATO member nations in Eastern Europe.
Russia denies it has planned to attack its western neighbour but is seeking a guarantee that Ukraine will never join NATO and that the Western alliance will remove forces from Eastern Europe.