How Russia Has Increased Its Military Buildup
This story has been updated. Visit the latest Ukraine map.
Russia has continued to mass forces on the Ukrainian border, with troops now surrounding the country on all sides, including in Belarus and Transnistria, a Russian-backed breakaway region of Moldova.
10,000
5,000
Troops
Artillery
Armored vehicles
Tanks
Other military or air installations
1,000
Moscow
Russia has begun moving
troops, armor and advanced
antiaircraft systems into
Belarus, a close ally.
Yelnya
Baranovichi
POLAND
Around 130,000 Russian troops
have been deployed near the
Ukrainian border.
Asipovichy
BELARUS
Klintsy
Pochep
Brest
Rechytsa
Marshala Zhukova
Pogonovo
RUSSIA
Forces deployed north of
Ukraine could stretch
the country’s forces thin and
threaten its capital, Kyiv.
Kyiv
Soloti
Boguchar
Volgograd
KAZAKHSTAN
UKRAINE
MOLDOVA
Luhansk
Donetsk
Approximate line
separating Ukrainian and
Russian-backed forces.
Persianovskiy
Tiraspol
Nearly 20,000 troops are near
two breakaway provinces, where
Ukraine has been locked in a
grinding war with Russian-backed
separatists since 2014.
ROMANIA
Rostov-on-Don
SEA OF AZOV
CRIMEA
Korenovsk
CASPIAN SEA
BULGARIA
BLACK SEA
200 MILES
10,000
5,000
Troops
Artillery
Armored vehicles
Tanks
Other military or air installations
1,000
Moscow
BELARUS
Yelnya
Baranovichi
Around 130,000 Russian troops
have been deployed near the
Ukrainian border.
POLAND
Asipovichy
Rechytsa
Brest
Klintsy
Marshala Zhukova
RUSSIA
Pogonovo
Russia has begun moving
troops, armor and advanced
antiaircraft systems into
Belarus, a close ally.
Kyiv
Soloti
Boguchar
KAZAKHSTAN
UKRAINE
MOLDOVA
Luhansk
Volgograd
Donetsk
Approximate line
separating Ukrainian and
Russian-backed forces.
Persianovskiy
Tiraspol
Nearly 20,000 troops are near two
breakaway provinces, where Ukraine
has been locked in a grinding
war with Russian-backed
separatists since 2014.
ROMANIA
Rostov-on-Don
SEA OF AZOV
CRIMEA
Korenovsk
CASPIAN SEA
BULGARIA
BLACK SEA
200 MILES
10,000
5,000
Artillery
Armored vehicles
Tanks
Other installations
Troops
1,000
Moscow
Yelnya
BELARUS
POLAND
Around 130,000 Russian troops
have been deployed near the
Ukrainian border.
Baranovichi
Klintsy
Asipovichy
Pochep
Rechytsa
Brest
RUSSIA
Pogonovo
Russia has begun moving
troops, armor and advanced
antiaircraft systems into
Belarus, a close ally.
Kyiv
Soloti
Boguchar
UKRAINE
KAZAKHSTAN
Approximate line
separating Ukrainian and
Russian-backed forces.
Luhansk
MOLDOVA
Volgograd
Donetsk
Persianovskiy
Tiraspol
ROMANIA
CASPIAN SEA
Rostov-on-Don
SEA OF AZOV
Korenovsk
CRIMEA
Nearly 20,000 troops are near two
breakaway provinces, where Ukraine
has been locked in a grinding
war with Russian-backed
separatists since 2014.
BULGARIA
BLACK SEA
200 MILES
10,000
Artillery
Other installations
5,000
Troops
Armored vehicles
1,000
Tanks
Moscow
Yelnya
BELARUS
Around 130,000 Russian troops
have been deployed near the
Ukrainian border.
RUSSIA
Russia has begun moving
troops, armor and advanced
antiaircraft systems into
Belarus, a close ally.
Kyiv
Luhansk
UKRAINE
Donetsk
CRIMEA
Nearly 20,000 troops are near
two breakaway provinces, where
Ukraine has been locked in a
grinding war with Russian-backed
separatists since 2014.
BLACK SEA
200 MILES
10,000
Other installations
Artillery
Troops
5,000
Armored vehicles
1,000
Tanks
Moscow
Yelnya
BELARUS
RUSSIA
Kyiv
UKRAINE
Luhansk
Donetsk
CRIMEA
BLACK SEA
300 MILES
A build-up of Russian forces near the border with Ukraine has raised concerns among Western and Ukrainian officials that the Kremlin might be preparing for significant military action, possibly an invasion. This map, compiled by The New York Times, shows troops, tanks and heavy artillery moving into positions that threaten to widen the conflict in Ukraine’s east and potentially open a new front on Ukraine’s northern border, closer to the capital, Kyiv. From there, they can also menace the countries on NATO’s eastern flank.
Russia currently has about 130,000 troops on the Ukraine border, according to Ukraine’s military. U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that the Kremlin has drawn up plans for a military operation involving up to 175,000 troops that could begin in the coming weeks. While it is not clear whether President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has decided to launch an attack — and Moscow has said repeatedly in recent weeks that it has no plans to do so — analysts say the country is well on its way toward constructing the architecture needed for a significant military intervention in Ukraine.
This map represents a snapshot of current Russian positions, as well as broad estimates of the number of troops and kinds of equipment deployed within striking distance of Ukraine. It is based on information obtained by Ukrainian and Western officials as well as independent military analysts and satellite imagery.
Much of the buildup so far, according to officials and military analysts, has involved troops and equipment that take time to deploy, including tanks and heavy armor, some of which have traveled by train from bases as far away as Siberia.
Before launching a significant military operation, Russia needs to deploy reserve soldiers and logistical infrastructure, like field hospitals, that until recently appeared to be missing from positions near Ukraine, analysts say. But these elements along with additional troops have been moving into some areas of Russian deployment, Ukrainian and western officials say.
Much of the attention so far has been directed at the buildup of forces near two breakaway provinces in eastern Ukraine, Donetsk and Luhansk, where the Ukrainian military has been at war with Russian-backed separatists since 2014. The separatist forces, which include Russian troops and Ukrainian fighters opposed to Kyiv’s rule, number about 30,000, according to an assessment by the Ukrainian military.
Since the start of 2021, Russia has moved an additional five battalion tactical groups into the border area near Luhansk and Donetsk, including about 5,000 soldiers sent to reinforce the 12,000 or so stationed there permanently, according to Ukrainian authorities.
Just as significant, according to officials and military analysts, are the forces massing north of Ukraine in areas such as Klintsy, at the point where the Ukrainian, Russian and Belarusian borders meet. Russia has also begun ferrying troops, armor, fighter jets and advanced antiaircraft systems into Belarus, a Russian ally and Ukraine’s northern neighbor, putting a growing force within range of Kyiv. Russia’s Defense Ministry says the buildup in Belarus is purely for military exercises scheduled to begin Feb. 10. But, American officials and NATO say these exercises could be a pretext for deploying troops meant to threaten Ukraine and put NATO allies on edge.