40-Mile-Long Russian Invasion Convoy Travelling to Kyiv Captured in Satellite Photos [Look]

Satellite photographs released this week show a massive convoy of Russian ground soldiers in Ivankiv, Ukraine.

Hundreds of armored vehicles, including tanks and self-propelled artillery and fuel and logistical, are part of the convoy.

US and Ukrainian officials claimed that Russia's major military goal is to surround Kyiv and destabilize the government.

The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, told The Associated Press (via Military Times) that Russian soldiers are already in the capital, making evacuation impossible.

Satellite Images Show Large Russian Convoy Moving Toward Kyiv

On February 28, four days after Russia's invasion of Ukraine began, Maxar Technologies' WorldView-3 satellite took high-resolution pictures of the huge convoy.

The Virginia-based startup has stitched those photographs together to produce a 3D animation showing the convoy's vast scale.

The WorldView-3 imagery was registered on top of a 3D model of the Kyiv region by Maxar.

In an emailed statement obtained by Space.com, a public relations firm representing Maxar said the data has an absolute accuracy in all directions of 10 feet (3 meters), which implies that items visible in the movie are literally inside the 3 meters zone in the actual world.

The convoy pictured at Ivankiv was also hauling gasoline and logistical systems, according to Maxar.

Maxar also published additional photographs showing damage at the Antonov airfield in Hostomel, Ukraine, roughly 4 miles outside Kyiv.

When the location is not easily accessible, viewers may have a better idea of the situation on the ground thanks to this unique view provided with space-based data.

For days, cloudy circumstances have prevented WorldView-3 and other optical-light satellites from clearly viewing the convoy. However, we should get an update whenever the clouds separate due to these eyes in the sky.

Russia-Ukraine Issue

According to a senior US defense official, there is no sign that the Russian military has gained control of any cities, and Ukrainians are fighting a "heroic and inspirational" battle to retain their nation.

When the photographs were taken, black smoke was still rising into the sky. According to Maxar, the damage was caused by recent airstrikes and severe fighting in and around the airport.

A video shared on Twitter Thursday captured an airstrike at the airport, which has a long runway that can accommodate various sorts of aircraft.

According to the Kyiv Independent's Illia Ponomarenko, the Ukrainians beat a Russian army at the airport.

On Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered nuclear troops to be placed on high alert, indicating that nuclear weapons are in higher preparedness for launch.

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