Sunday, April 13, 2014

A Look At The The Present Russian Military Status Near Ukraine

(Laris Karklis / The Washington Post)

Is Satellite Imagery Revealing A Russian Military Buildup On Ukraine’s Borders? -- Washington Post

According to an announcement by NATO on Thursday, new satellite imagery clearly shows "destabilizing Russian forces" near Ukraine, with as many as 40,000 troops in place. That military might presents "serious implications for the security and stability of the region,” NATO's Brig. Gary Deakin said.

Russian officials deny any buildup. They admit that the images show Russia's military, but they argue that the pictures show troops taking part in standard drills. What's more, they argue that the photos were taken last year, and not between March 22 and April 2, 2014, as NATO and commercial satellite imaging company DigitalGlobe claim.

Both Russia and NATO can't be right, so we decided to investigate further.

Read more ....

Update: Fighter jets, special forces: Photos 'show Russian military buildup' near Ukraine -- CNN

My Comment: This is a good analysis from the Washington Post .... but if true .... does Russia have enough forces to invade Ukraine? My answer has to be no .... this deployment is more for show. I have traveled through this area .... it is huge and vast .... and 40,000 Russian troops will not be able to occupy it. But if the situation unravels in eastern Ukraine and the country implodes .... I can see these forces being moved into only a few key cities/regions in eastern Ukraine to maintain law and order until more Russian forces arrive .... probably in days if not a few weeks later.

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