New satellite images taken Wednesday and Thursday showed the Russia military placing increased supplies and soldiers along three sides of Ukraine.
Maxar Technologies, a U.S.-based space technology and intelligence company, released the images capturing Russia’s increased military presence in Crimea, western Russia and Belarus, further igniting fears a Russian invasion into Ukraine is imminent, according to a New York Times report.
Russia moved over 550 new tents and hundreds of vehicles to a vacant airfield in Oktyabrskoe in the Crimean peninsula, according to The NYT.
Maxar’s satellite images also showed Russia’s heightened presence near Novoozernoya and Slavne, where the Russian military stationed troops and other equipment, The NYT reported. The country also bolstered its presence near Kursk, a city in western Russia.
Satellite images show new Russian military deployments near Ukraine https://t.co/A1imd6cLsE pic.twitter.com/pKFVaAQnlG
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 11, 2022
Maxar took some of the satellite images in Crimea on Thursday, the same day Russian warships moved into the Black Sea to begin naval exercises, according to a CNN report. Russia and Belarus started a 10-day joint military drill Thursday in Belarus, with the Russian military believed to have sent more troops, vehicles and helicopters there now than during the Cold War, CNN reported.
“We have continued to see even over the last 24 hours additional capabilities flow from elsewhere in Russia to that border with Ukraine and in Belarus,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said at a press briefing Wednesday.
Speaking in Australia, @SecBlinken tells Americans to leave Ukraine & said “we’re in a window when an invasion could begin at any time. And to be clear, that includes during the Olympics.” He adds the US is “continuing to draw down our embassy. We will continue that process.”
— Margaret Brennan (@margbrennan) February 11, 2022
While in Australia, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken instructed Americans to leave Ukraine, saying Friday, “We’re in a window when an invasion could begin at any time.” (RELATED: ‘World War’: Biden Rules Out Sending Troops To Evacuate Americans In Ukraine If Russia Invades)
“Simply put, we continue to see very troubling signs of Russian escalation, including new forces arriving at the Ukrainian border,” Blinken also said, according to Reuters. “We will continue that process and we’ve also been very clear that any American citizens who remain in Ukraine should leave now.”