Filenews 19 April 2021
A large build-up of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine shows satellite images circulating on social media. Russian forces are ready to launch an invasion if Vladimir Putin gives the order.
The build-up of forces is seen as the largest in seven years since the annexation of Crimea, and comes as British warships are said to be sailing for the Black Sea in May amid fears of a war between Ukraine and Russia.
Last month, Putin gathered tens of thousands of troops and weapons in the Donbass region, where the conflict between Ukrainian government troops and Russian-speaking separatists has raged for seven years since Russian forces seized Crimea in 2014. Satellite images, recently released, show a large Russian camp about 19 miles from Marfivka, in eastern Crimea, according to the German Spiegel.
The camp is located just 174 miles from Ukraine's territory and houses parts of Russia's 58th army. It is estimated that there are over a thousand machines on site, as well as facilities in fenced areas. The area was vacant on March 15. An open source analyst said this was the largest concentration of Russian armed forces since 2014 and 2015. The images show rows of tents and a large number of military vehicles in Russia's southwestern region of Voronez, which borders Ukraine.
Source: protothema.gr
