(Reuters) – New satellite images captured by a US company have shown that Russia has continued to pool military forces in the newly annexed Crimea and areas near Ukraine in recent weeks as it presses the United States for negotiations over security guarantees.
Reuters was unable to independently investigate the latest images from US Maxar Technologies. The Kremlin reiterated on Friday that it reserves the right to move its own forces into Russian territory as it sees fit and that Western countries are carrying out provocative military maneuvers near its borders.
US, European and Ukrainian leaders have accused Russia of again massing troops near the Ukrainian border since October, after a brief increase in such activity in April, when Maxar had also released images. US President Joe Biden and other leaders say Moscow appears to be considering an attack on Ukraine next month, something Moscow has repeatedly denied.
Images released on Thursday night showed a base in Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, with hundreds of armored vehicles and tanks, this on December 13th. A satellite image of Maxar at the same base in October showed the base half empty.
Maxar showed that a new military unit, consisting of several hundred armored vehicles, such as BMP series infantry fighting vehicles, tanks, self-propelled artillery and air defense equipment, had arrived at the Russian garrison.
“Last month, our high-resolution satellite imagery observed a number of new Russian moves in the Crimea, as well as in various training areas in western Russia along the Ukrainian border,” Maxar said in a statement.
The company cited increased military activity in three points in Crimea and in five locations in western Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia wants to avoid conflict but needs an “immediate” response from the United States and its allies to its demands for security guarantees. Moscow said it expected talks with members of the US government on the matter to begin in January in Geneva.
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