A day after the European Union’s top diplomat warned that more than 100,000 Russian troops have now gathered on the Ukrainian border and in annexed Crimea, new satellite images show the vast stockpile of military equipment the Kremlin has deployed to support them.
On Monday, EU Foreign Affairs Chief Josep Borrell said a huge Russian army has gathered at the Ukrainian border, adding: “It is the highest military deployment of the Russian army at the Ukrainian borders ever … If you deploy a lot of troops, a spark can jump here or there. “
On Tuesday, the satellite images were published by the Wall Street Journal showed the size of the Russian force that is so worrying. The photos, taken between March 27 and April 16 by the commercial satellite company Maxar Technologies, show that Russia is collecting fighter jets, attack helicopters and even building a new military hospital.
Experts say the range and number of fighter jets collected is a cause of grave concern. Philip Breedlove, a retired U.S. Air Force general who was NATO’s top military commander when Russian forces annexed Crimea in 2014, told the log: “They have appropriately deployed the various elements of air force that would be necessary to establish air superiority over the battlefield and directly support the ground forces.”
Dan Jablonsky, the CEO of Maxar Technologies, said the company decided to make its images public so that the world knows more about what Russia is up to on the border with Ukraine. “I think it removes some of the uncertainty and doubt about what is really happening in a pretty critical region of the world,” said Jablonsky.
US officials are also showing growing concern about what could happen in the region. The US estimate of the number of Russian troops in Crimea or near Ukraine stands at 80,000, according to the Log-double the number of troops deployed to the region just a month ago. However, the officials said they would expect larger ammunition supplies and more military hospitals if a large-scale invasion was imminent.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told the Log: “In a few weeks, they will be close to enough combat readiness to continue a military escalation. By our estimates, their combined military force will reach more than 120,000 troops by then … We don’t know if Putin will decide to attack, but he will certainly be willing to do so. “
Last week, during a telephone conversation between President Joe Biden and Putin, the White House said the US President emphasized “the United States’ unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”