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Russia has moved fighter jets to Crimea and bases near Ukraine to a greater extent than previously disclosed, adding to its ability for political intimidation or military intervention https://t.co/DbBIw2w1Pj
– Ben Pershing (@benpershing) April 20, 2021
Satellite images for the period from March 27. By April 16, Maxar Technologies, a company specializing in satellite photography, including taking pictures for governments, writes Dožd. The photos above can be viewed here.
Company CEO Daniel Jablonsky told The Wall Street Journal why he decided to make the photos public: “I think they remove some of the doubts about what is really happening in a region with many problems.”
One of the photos published in The Wall Street Journal shows an aviation base in Crimea. There are several Su-30 fighters on the concrete runway. This photo was taken on April 16. There were no fighters on the base until March, writes The Wall Street Journal.
Other shots show a military camp near Voronezh, where Russia has been concentrating its forces since the end of March. The satellite photos include helicopters, reconnaissance drones, rifles and armored and tank units, military field hospitals, the newspaper writes.
New satellite images show Su-30 fighter jets and paratroopers (likely 76th Air Assault Division) arriving in Crimea. – WSJ https://t.co/nwcKDI1wJb via @CITeam_es #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/O6ITPdFOfk
– Liveuamap (@Liveuamap) April 20, 2021
Former and current US officials told The Wall Street Journal that Su-34, Su-30, Su-27, Su-Bombers, who were still stationed at the border and relocated from other parts of the country. -25 ”and“ Su-24 ”are intended to increase Moscow’s political influence in Ukraine.
“They are [Rusija] “The United States has deployed as many air forces as necessary to ensure air superiority during battle and to provide assistance to ground forces,” said Philip Breedlove, a former US Air Force officer who led NATO forces in Europe during the annexation of Crimea.
According to him, the photos show that the Russian military units do not plan to attack immediately, but Moscow has several options to take additional measures.
Last week, William Burns, director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), pointed out in Congress that by mobilizing forces, Russia was intimidating the Ukrainian government and sending a signal to the Joe Biden administration.
“The mobilization has reached a point where everything can turn into a military invasion,” Burns said. “And not only the United States, but also the allies must respond seriously.”
“It just came to our attention then. This is in preparation for a major attack, says Potillac President Phillip Karber, who has frequently visited the war zone in Ukraine. weeks, that option is possible for Russia. “
“We cannot rule out the possibility that the mobilization of forces is a means of influencing Ukraine to force it to open the Northern Crimean Canal,” said political scientist Glenn Howard. “It is huge potential and we do not know how Russia will use it.”
A Pentagon spokesman said on Monday that Russia had concentrated more forces on the border with Ukraine than in 2014, when it invaded Crimea.
According to him, this deployment is a “very serious concern”.
European Union foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell said early Monday that 150,000 people had been deployed to the border with Ukraine. Russian soldiers. A little later, his own service reduced this number to 100,000 without explanation.
US Defense Department spokesman John Kirby declined to give a specific number.
“This is without a doubt the largest concentration we have seen since 2014, when Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity were violated,” Kirby told a news conference. – is really bigger [kariuomenės sutelkimas] than last time in 2014. “
“I will not mention the specific figures or the deployment of the army,” he said, emphasizing: “We really continue to see the mobilization, [jis] as before, we are very concerned. “
“We do not believe that this concentration contributes to security and stability on the border with Ukraine and it certainly does not help in occupied Crimea,” Kirby said.
“We really hear the Russians announce that it is all about the exercise. It is not entirely clear to us that that is really the goal,” he added.
A Ukrainian soldier was killed and another injured in clashes with Moscow-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine on Sunday. With the resumption of tensions between Kiev and Moscow, fighting in eastern Ukraine has intensified.
Ukraine fears that the Kremlin will find an excuse to attack.
The war in eastern Ukraine, which began seven years after the annexation of Crimea, has already cost more than 13,000 people. lives, and nearly 1.5 million. people were forced to leave their homes.
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