The New York Times drew up and published a map showing, as it says, the position of Russian troops along the border with Ukraine. According to the newspaper, these troops are threatening to escalate the conflict with Ukraine and may start a new military operation. According to the newspaper, they encircle Ukraine on three sides.
The map shows the type of troops, their number, and types of equipment. The newspaper explains that it drew up the map based on data from Ukrainian and Western officials, as well as independent military analysts and satellite images.
According to Western and Ukrainian officials, there are now 100,000 troops near the border with Ukraine. However, according to US intelligence, the Kremlin has developed a military operation involving 175,000 soldiers, the NYT writes. The newspaper also notes that, according to analysts, it is still unclear whether Moscow is planning to invade Ukraine. At the same time, they note that Russia is now “on the way” to getting everything it needs to start an invasion.
The New York Times map shows ten major clusters of Russian troops within reach of the Ukrainian border. Almost all of them, the newspaper says, include artillery, heavy equipment and tanks.
Two groups of troops, according to the NYT, are positioned near the border with Belarus, near Yelnya (Smolensk region) and Klintsy (Bryansk region). Three more groups are positioned near Russian Voronezh, the map shows. These troops, the NYT notes, may directly threaten Kyiv in the event of a military operation.
Another group is positioned near Volgograd, two more – close to the border with the non-government controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the newspaper notes. According to its data, two more military positions are in Korenivsk (Krasnodar Territory, only artillery) and in the annexed Crimea.
Before that, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken accused Russia of promoting a “false narrative” about being threatened by Ukraine and NATO in order to justify the build-up of troops near the Ukrainian border.
Tags: Russia russia ukraine war Ukraine
