The latest satellite images of the U.S. private company Maxar Technologies show that Russia is still deploying its forces in the annexed Crimea and near Ukraine. Kremlin has repeatedly said that it reserves the right to deploy its own military forces on any Russian territory, and continues to accuse the West for deploying troops near Russia.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, said that Russia “is deploying its troops on its territory due to the hostile actions of its rivals in NATO, the United States and some European countries, which are conducting very ambitious maneuvers near our borders,” Index.hr reports.
However, satellite images from December 13 show a base in Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, full of armored vehicles and tanks. Maxar Technologies filmed that base in October and it was empty.
“Over the past month, our high-resolution satellite images has shown multiple deployments of Russian forces in Crimea and several training centers in western Russia along the border with Ukraine,” Maxar Technologies comoany said.
According to Maxar, the activities have been intensified at three locations in Crimea and five locations in western Russia.
US President Joe Biden and other Western leaders have previously said that Moscow is considering an attack on Ukraine in January.
On December 23, Bloomberg also reported on the further deployment of Russian troops near the border with Ukraine, referring to satellite images studied by the military intelligence company Jane.
US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland suggested that Russia could invade Ukraine in early 2022. The United States and other Western countries have threatened the Russian Federation with the most severe sanctions in the event of such a scenario.
Moscow constantly denies information about the upcoming invasion of Ukraine and, for its part, accuses NATO of arming Kiev. On December 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed the United States over the escalation of tensions in Europe.
Last week, Russia demanded from NATO alliance to give up military operations in countries neighboring Russia. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs included the relevant provisions in the draft security agreement, which was sent to Washington.
The United States stated that the dialogue with Moscow on security guarantees is possible only in the conditions of de-escalation on the borders of Ukraine and in coordination with European allies and partners.
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