The latest satellite images show how, compared to February, Russian troops in the north of the Crimean Peninsula conducted maneuvers, and a lot of military equipment left its storage area.

analyst Brady AfricanThe American Enterprise Institute’s Foreign and Defense Policy Research has collected two sets of satellite images that show troop movements in Northern Crimea near the town of Medvedivka.

The photos show a military warehouse of the Russian army, where a large number of equipment, armored vehicles and elements of military equipment were located. Satellite images of February show that all these elements of military equipment are in this warehouse.

In the latest pictures, taken in mid-March, the same warehouse appears almost empty, with lots of military equipment leaving the place.

Are the Russians retreating or strengthening their positions in anticipation of a Ukrainian counteroffensive?

Images showing Russian troop movements have sparked debate and raised questions about whether the maneuvers could be a sign of a tactical withdrawal to keep troops and military equipment out of the way of a possible rapid advance by Ukrainian forces.

On the other hand, the progress of military equipment may indicate that the Russians have redirected armored vehicles and artillery to other areas to strengthen some positions in anticipation of the increasingly rumored offensive of Ukraine.

Ukraine expects that in 5-7 months its army will be on the border with Crimea

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to President Zelenskyi, told Radio Free Europe on Wednesday that Ukrainian troops will be “at the door of Crimea” in “five to seven months.”

But some of Ukraine’s Western allies fear that Putin may resort to tactical nuclear weapons to defend the peninsula, whose status the Kremlin says is non-negotiable.

Crimea has been under Russian occupation since February 2014 and was annexed by Moscow the following month after a mock referendum – a move the international world condemned as an illegal land grab.

Ukraine is “ready” to talk with Russia about Crimea if the expected counteroffensive is successful

Kyiv is ready to discuss the future of Crimea with Moscow if its troops reach the border of the Russian-occupied peninsula, a high-ranking adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskyi told the Financial Times, News.ro reports.

The statements of Zelenskyi’s deputy head of administration, Andrii Sybiga, are the most explicit statement of Ukraine’s interest in negotiations since Kyiv broke off peace talks with the Kremlin in April last year, the Financial Times notes.

“If we manage to achieve our strategic goals on the battlefield and when we are on the administrative border with Crimea, we are ready to open a diplomatic page to discuss this issue,” said Andriy Sybiga, referring to the expected counteroffensive, which is planned for some time. Kyiv.

“This does not mean that we exclude the way to liberate (Crimea) by our army,” the Ukrainian official added.

Kyiv’s warning before an imminent counteroffensive

Kyiv indirectly called on Ukrainians in the territories occupied by Russia to leave this territory in the face of an imminent counteroffensive by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“I advise Ukrainians from the temporarily occupied territories to either go to third countries or prepare,” Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in Telegram, without providing details.

Instead, the Ukrainian General Staff announced on Tuesday that Russian and Ukrainian fighter jets and artillery units had entered into action in the east of the country. The Ukrainian General Staff does not report the exact locations of these battles.

The Ukrainian side also reported the destruction of two Russian electronic warfare systems, but this information could not be independently verified, DPA notes.

The Ukrainian counteroffensive may begin in the coming weeks, US Permanent Representative to NATO Julianne Smith previously reported, and Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov stated that it may begin in April-May, reports Unian.

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