Satellite images show a 40-mile-long Russian convoy 40 miles north of Kiev that has dispersed and burrowed into nearby forests
New satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies shows a 40-mile convoy of Russian military vehicles, tanks and artillery stationed outside the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, having been disbanded and redeployed.
Military experts say the Russian convoy was long overdue for concealment, and the convoy's exposure to the road for days was incomprehensible.
According to Maxar, some of the vehicles lined up on the country lanes at the end of February have now entered the forest near nearby Lubyanka, stopping under trees, and towed howitzers (large-range weapons) and rocket launchers appear to have entered firing positions.
A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said some vehicles had been seen driving off the road into the forest fringes in recent days, but the official could not confirm whether the convoy had dispersed.
Russian armored forces were also seen in towns near the Antonov airport in the north of the city.
Still, the immediacy of the Russian threat to Kiev remains unclear. Another U.S. defense official said Russian troops marching toward Kiev had advanced about 3 miles in the last 24 hours, with some of them about 9 miles from the city.
