It would also appear that Russia is continuing to concentrate forces along the border with Ukraine, despite claims from Moscow more than a week ago that many units would return to their permanent bases after drills. .
Geotagged social media videos analyzed by CNN over the past few days show a continued buildup of armored and support vehicles in two areas: around the Russian city of Belgorod and the town of Valuyki. Both are within 30 kilometers (about 18 miles) of Ukraine’s northeast border, beyond which lies the major city of Kharkiv, Ukraine.
Dozens of tanks and stationary howitzers – as well as other armor – could be observed in the fields near Belgorod. Other videos showed a long column of tanks and infantry fighting vehicles parked along a road between Belgorod and the Ukrainian border.
Some of the formations appear to be considerably larger than those seen last week. Some units moved at night, according to videos from the Belgorod region.
Additionally, new satellite images show that just west of Belgorod, a new field hospital has been built on a military site. To the southwest of the city, additional troops and equipment are visible in satellite images.
Russian ambulances and military transports have also been identified in areas near the Ukrainian border, as shown in videos posted on social media that CNN was able to authenticate and geolocate.
In one of the videos, ambulances are parked in a wooded area near a park in Shebekino, Russia, less than five miles from the Ukrainian border.
Ambulances were also seen on the move as part of convoys in the Kursk regions, less than 80 km from the border.
New satellite images from Maxar Technologies show that in recent days additional troops, vehicles and logistical infrastructure have also been deployed in Belarus. At an airfield just southwest of Mazyr in southern Belarus, dozens of tents and vehicles have appeared in recent days. A satellite image from February 4 shows the area was completely vacant. This airfield is just under 40 kilometers (about 24 miles) from the northern border of Ukraine.
Additionally, videos on social media showed a significant number of attack helicopters in southern Belarus near the town of Gomel. Their current whereabouts are unknown.
Between a week and 10 days ago, announcements from Moscow, often accompanied by sometimes contradictory Russian Defense Ministry video, raged about the return to base of units around Ukraine after exercises. But there have been no further announcements since.
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