Satellites reveal Russian bombers on the borders of European countries
Satellite images showed that Russian President Vladimir Putin has increased the number of his strategic bombers stationed at an air base near the Finnish and Norwegian borders.
The move comes amid heightened tension over whether Putin plans to step up his military operation in Ukraine, which has come under heavy attacks this week.
The Russian president gradually increased the number of strategic bombers at the Olinya Air Base, until it reached 11 supersonic Tu160 bombers, nicknamed the White Swan.
There are seven Tu160 strategic bombers in newly released satellite images, and four Tu95s at the facility located on the Kola Peninsula, in the far northwest of Russia, and in the Arctic Circle.
The disclosure comes from Factsek, an independent Norwegian fact-checking website, which obtained data from the US satellite operator Planet.
The Russian military reinforcement at the air base came after the Jerusalem Post newspaper revealed an extraordinary deployment of seven bombers at the air base, which can carry nuclear weapons.
The bombers are stationed about 185 km from the border of NATO member Norway, and about 152 km from soon-to-be NATO member Finland.
