In Crimea, images collected on Thursday showed a large deployment of troops and equipment by Maxar, according to Stephen Wood, a senior company director. The deployment is at the formerly disused Oktyabrskoye airfield, north of the Crimean capital, Simferopol.
Maxar estimates that more than 550 military tents and hundreds of vehicles have arrived at the scene. Other sites in Crimea have also seen an influx of troops and equipment, including Novozernoy, where extensive artillery deployments and training exercises have been conducted.
A new deployment, including armored vehicles, was first identified by Maxar near the city of Slavane on the north-west coast of Crimea.
The new deployment to Crimea saw the same day that several Russian warships, including large amphibious landing ships, arrived in Crimea’s main port of Sevastopol.
In Belarus, Maxar saw what it called a “new deployment of troops, military vehicles and helicopters” at Zyabrovka airfield near the city of Gomel, about 15 miles (25 km) from the border with Ukraine. This is the first time that helicopters have been sighted in the area. There also appears to be a field hospital at the site.
Additionally, troops and several battle groups have been stationed near the Belarusian city of Rechitsa, less than 30 miles (45 km) from the border with Ukraine. Previous satellite imagery had shown the establishment of tent camps near Rechitsa.
When combined with recent videos, they suggest a growing Russian presence in the region, which is 200 miles (320 kilometers) east of where the joint Russian-Belarusian exercise was underway on Thursday.
Social media videos have shown substantial movements by Russian military units in the east of Ukraine over the past few days around the cities of Kursk, Rostov-on-Don and Bryansk.
Maxar reports what it called “a large deployment of troops and military forces” who “recently arrived at the Kursk training area east of the city – about 110 kilometers (75 mi) east of the border with Ukraine.” ”
“Additional equipment continues to arrive in the area and preparations are being made to accommodate more troops and equipment,” Maxer said.