Russian troop buildup confirmed - and not

Politico.com published an article on Nov. 1 with
satellite imagery confirming the build up of Russian troops along the country’s
border with north-eastern Ukraine. The images, Politico states, were taken on
Nov. 1 by a commercial satellite. Politico also references a new analysis by
Jane’s regarding a buildup in the Bryansk and Kursk areas. The article follows
one published by the Washington Post on Oct. 30 pointing to concerns by
analysts regarding unusual troop movements by Russia following military
exercises in September.

However, on Nov. 1, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s
Defense Ministry did not confirm the buildup, calling the initial report
“informational and psychological actions”.

James Hydzik: At best, the
Defense Ministry was caught flat-footed by the Washington Post article, or
perhaps that military intelligence in Kyiv sees it as part of the regular
to-and-fro of Russian movements that has caught the eye of some journalist
somewhere. However, Jane’s is not just ‘some journalist somewhere’. At the
least, the situation bears watching, though, as we stated previously, the
estimated 80-90,000 troops along the border would not be able to engage in a
large-scale offensive.