Russia has brought in five anti-aircraft missiles and added troops to the disputed region over the past 18 months, according to new satellite photos. This has left US officials scrambling over a perceived threat increase from Crimea, which was controversially annexed by Russia in 2014. Observers note that the show of Russian aggression indicates that the region will not be returned to Ukraine soon and could expand their military power in the Middle East – much to Washington’s dismay.
One US official reportedly said that Russia was engineering “a deliberate and systematic buildup of their forces on the peninsula".
They added: “The combat radius covers all Ukraine and beyond the Black Sea. It significantly increases their strike options, potentially extending to the Middle East.”
Another commented that now Moscow could reach targets in southern Europe and Syria – all without departing Crimea.
Photos taken between January 2018 and April 2019 also show significant improvements being made to Soviet-era military installations.
Putin was accused of aggressively annexing Crimea (Image: GETTY)
The region was annexed by force
