Noch vor einer Woche wollte Wladimir Putin seine Truppen angeblich aus dem Grenzgebiet abziehen. Neue Satellitenbilder zeigen: Russland lässt weiter entlang der Grenze zur Ukraine aufrüsten. Russland weitet seine militärische Präsenz entlang der Grenze zur Ukraine aus. Das zeigen Aufnahmen der vergangenen 48 Stunden des US-Satellitendienstes Maxar. Demnach haben sich die militärischen Aktivitäten sowohl im südlichen Belarus als auch an mehreren Standorten im Westen Russlands – dort in unmittelbarer Nähe zur ukrainischen Grenze – deutlich erhöht. (…) Laut den Aufnahmen von Maxar hat Russland mehrere neue Einheiten in ländliche Gebiete südwestlich von Belgorod verlegt. In der Region hatte das russische Militär in den letzten Wochen eine Basis für Kampfhubschrauber errichtet und kontinuierlich ausgebaut. Aufnahmen zeigen, dass Einheiten häufiger außerhalb der Militärbasen und oft gut versteckt an Baumreihen Positionen bezogen haben. Zudem lassen sich Feldlazarette, erkennbar an der markanten Kreuzform, ausmachen
siehe auch: Ukraine news – live: US warns invasion ‘underway’ as Russia’s upper house grants consent to use troops abroad. The White House dismissed Moscow’s claim that troops were sent to Ukraine for ‘peacekeeping’. A Russian invasion of Ukraine is already underway, the White House said after the Kremlin ordered troops into two separatist-controlled regions in Donbass. Russia’s upper parliamentary house has approved Vladimir Putin’s request for permission to deploy troops abroad, including to eastern Ukraine – where two separatist groups were formally recognised by the Russian president on Monday. A defence minister had addressed the chamber to make the plea for approval, claiming that Russia had been left with no choice. Speaking on CNN, White House deputy national security adviser Jon Finer dismissed Moscow’s claim that the forces were sent for “peacekeeping” purposes, adding: “An invasion is an invasion and that is what is underway.” (…) Ukraine’s Western allies have made plans to inflict fresh sanctions on Russian politicians and entities amid the escalating conflict; Ukraine parliament approves state of emergency as reserves called up. Measures come as Kyiv asks the west to hit Russia with tougher sanctions. Ukraine’s parliament approved late on Wednesday a call by President Volodymyr Zelensky to declare a state of emergency in the country, with a majority 335 MPs voting in favour. “We put off this decision for a long time,” the national security chief Oleksiy Danilov said, “ . . . the situation is complicated but under control.” He added that the Russian threat would be greater if domestic ‘destabilisation’ pursued by Russia were allowed to be a factor. The government earlier told its citizens to leave Russia, amid growing signs that Ukraine was veering closer to a full-blown war with its northern neighbour.