New satellite images taken on Monday confirm recent reports that Russia is re-assembling troops and military equipment on its border with Ukraine.
New images taken by Maxar Technologies and shared with POLITICO show tanks and self-propelled artillery along with ground troops concentrated near the Russian city of Yelnya and on the border with Belarus.
The units, which began moving in late September from other areas of Russia where they are usually based, include the select 1st Guards Tank Army.
Meanwhile, a new analysis reveals that equipment from Russia’s 4th Tank Division has been moved to areas around Bryansk and Kursk near the northern border with Ukraine. The units are equipped with T-80U main tanks and self-propelled artillery.
Elements of the 1st Evelpidon Army have also been identified in the area. The military “is designed to conduct operations at every level of combat, from counterinsurgency to mechanized warfare,” the analysis said. “It is usually the first to receive the latest equipment and is also considered the primary formation for testing new equipment and tactics,” she said.
Tensions between Moscow and the West have risen in recent months, with Russian President Vladimir Putin referring to the possible accession of Ukraine and Georgia to NATO, and Defense Minister Lloyd Austin visiting both countries in October.
During his days in Kiev, Austin was asked about Ukraine’s bid to join NATO. He said Ukraine “has the right to decide its own future foreign policy” and that the United States “will continue to do what it can to support Ukraine’s efforts to develop its defense capabilities.”
Days later, Putin responded during a speech in Sochi, warning that “formal NATO membership may never happen for Ukraine, but military expansion into the territory is already under way, and this is a real threat to the Russian Federation.” . They know that”.
At the same time, the Washington Post reported for the first time the accumulation of troops on Saturday. Reuters later quoted Ukraine’s Defense Ministry as refuting the Post’s report, saying that as of Monday, the transfer of more Russian troops, weapons and equipment to Ukraine’s borders “had not been recorded”.
The photos come to light as tensions between Kiev and the Kremlin continue. Last spring, a gathering of Russian troops on the country’s border caused concern in the Ukrainian capital and Washington.
bloomberg.com – politico.com
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