Russian-Belarusian maneuvers. Military equipment is brought up 50 km to Ukraine—satellite imagery. Photo: Wikipedia
Latest satellite imagery showed a build-up of military equipment at three locations across Belarus within 50 km of the Ukrainian border. The pictures taken by the American Maxar Technologies show a concentration of Russian and Belarusian military assets near Yelsk, Rechnitsa, and Luninets.
Maxar identified 15 Su-25 ground attack aircraft and S-400 air defense systems at the Luninets airfield, as well as SS26 Iskander missiles and multiple rocket launchers near Yelsk in the images.
Troops deployment and equipment parking area in Rechitsa (Belarus), February 4, 2022. Photo: Maxar/REUTERS
Deployment of missiles and missile launchers northwest of Yelsk (Belarus), February 4, 2022. Photo: Maxar/REUTERS
Ground attack aircraft at the Luninets airfield (Belarus), February 4, 2022. Photo: Maxar/REUTERS
Context. The new deployment of forces takes place as part of the joint Russian-Belarusian maneuvers Union Resolve 2022, scheduled for February 10-20. The United States does not rule out that Moscow may use them to invade Ukraine.
Last week, NATO called Russia's maneuvers in Belarus the largest Russian deployment to the area since the Cold War.