A day after the top EU diplomat warned that more than 100,000 Russian soldiers had now gathered at the Ukrainian border and in annexed Crimea, new satellite images showed the Kremlin’s large stockpile of military equipment for to support them.
On Monday, EU Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said a massive Russian army had gathered on the border with Ukraine, adding: “It is the largest military deployment of the Russian army on Ukrainian borders ever … it can jump here or there. ”
On Tuesday, satellite images published by Wall Street Journal showed the extent of the Russian force that causes so much concern. The photos, taken between March 27 and April 16 by the satellite trading company Maxar Technologies, show that Russia collects fighter jets, attack helicopters and even builds a new military hospital.
Experts say the range and number of fighter jets gathered are a matter of acute concern. Philip Breedlove, a retreating U.S. Air Force general who was NATO’s top military commander when Russian forces annexed Crimea in 2014, told diary: “They have adequately deployed the various elements of air power that would be needed to establish air superiority over the battlefield and to directly support ground troops.”
Dan Jablonsky, chief executive of Maxar Technologies, said the company had decided to make its images public so that people would know more about what Russia was planning on the border with Ukraine. “I think it removes some of the uncertainty and doubt about what’s really going on in a fairly critical region of the world,” Jablonsky said.
US officials are also increasingly concerned about what could happen in the region. The US estimate of the number of Russian troops in Crimea or near Ukraine is 80,000, according to data Journal-double the number of troops deployed in the region just a month ago. However, officials said they would expect to see larger stockpiles of ammunition and more military hospitals if a large-scale invasion were imminent.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told Journal: “In a few weeks, they will be close to a sufficient preparation for battle to continue a military escalation. According to our estimates, their combined military force will reach over 120,000 soldiers by then … We do not know if Putin will decide to attack, but he will certainly be ready to do so. “
Last week, during an appeal between President Joe Biden and Putin, the White House said that the US President “underlined the unwavering commitment of the United States to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.”