New satellite images show Russia’s massive military buildup on Ukraine’s border
New satellite images have shown the massive scale of the buildup of Russian troops and weapons on the Russian-Ukrainian border.
News agency Reuters on Jan. 20 released a video showcasing the new images, which were taken by Maxar Technologies satellites.
Russian troops are deployed in four areas in the west of Russia, in close proximity to Ukraine’s border.
The satellite images were also published by Italian journalist Alex Salvi on his Twitter account.
According to Salvi’s images, Russia has positioned troops and equipment in the village of Klimovo, (13 kilometers north of the Ukrainian border), the town of Klintsy (30 kilometers east of the Ukrainian border), the town of Yelnya (130 kilometers east of the Belarussian border) and at the Pogonovo training area (165 kilometers north of the Ukrainian border).
Currently, over 100,000 Russian troops are estimated to be deployed near the Russian-Ukrainian border and in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, reports Ukrainian intelligence.
Fears of a renewed Russian invasion of Ukraine began in late October when Russian troops began building up on the Ukrainian border and in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.
While Russia has denied plans to invade, it has also refused to provide assurances that it would not do so, instead demanding that it be provided with “security guarantees” from the United States and NATO.
Previously unscheduled joint military exercises were recently announced by Russia and Belarus, and Russian troops have been seen deployed near the Belarusian-Ukrainian border as well.
The situation on Ukraine's eastern border is a matter of deep concern for both U.S. and European Union officials. According to U.S. President Joe Biden, the White House is looking at a range of options to dissuade Russia from a potential attack on Ukraine.
Biden has defined these measures as “the most comprehensive and meaningful set of initiatives to make it very, very difficult for Mr. Putin to go ahead and do what people believe he may do.”
Proposed measures include cutting Russia off from the SWIFT international banking system, personal sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin and his inner circle, and a ban on U.S. dollar transactions with Russia.
In early December, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said Russian aggression towards Ukraine could intensify in late January 2022.
On Jan. 14, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stated that the United States has evidence of Russia planning to conduct various false flag operations in the Donbas.
Corroborated by the Pentagon, Psaki said that Moscow has sent operatives, trained in explosives and urban combat, into eastern Ukraine, to be used to stage false flag operations that could give Putin a pretext for a further invasion of the country
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