Ukraine borders mapped: Where is Ukraine on a map? Where Russian troops are gathering

Russia: Putin 'will face serious consequences' says Joe Biden

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Ukraine is bracing itself for an imminent attack from its neighbour Russia, as President Putin has gathered an estimated 100,000 troops along its border. Here’s where Ukraine is situated and where the Russian troops have gathered.

Where is Ukraine?

Ukraine is situated in eastern Europe where it shares its borders with seven countries.

The biggest border is with Russia, its most infamous neighbour, but it also borders Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romanian and Moldova.

Ukraine – the second biggest country in eastern Europe after Russia, as it spans a whopping 603,628 km2 (233,062 square miles) – has a coastline with the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

Russia may be sparsely populated in places, but Ukraine has a huge population – it is the eighth-most populous country in Europe.

Its staggering 41.3 million people (excluding the population of Crimea) could be impacted if Russia invades.

The capital of Ukraine is Kyiv. It is located in the north of the country close to the border with Belarus.

Where are the Russian troop located?

Russia has stationed an estimated 100,000 troops dotted along its vast 1,200-mile border with Ukraine.

Satellite images have allowed military experts to estimate where military activity has increased.

Most of Russia’s military presence on the border is centred in the eastern breakaway provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk (Donbas).

Soldiers have been stationed in support of separatist rebels here since 2014.

Areas to the north of Ukraine such as Klintsy and Yelnya have seen increased military activity.

Satellite images from Yelnya which also borders Belarus show that Russia increased its military presence there.

This is very worrying as it’s strategically close to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv.

Aerial imagery has also revealed Russian military activity in areas northeast of the Ukrainian border, such as Pogonovo.

Russia has stationed tens of thousands of troops inside the annexed territory of Crimea.

Worryingly satellite images have revealed an increase in military deployments there since November 2021.

Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in southern Ukraine in 2014.

Despite the deeply concerning rise in military activity along the Ukrainian border, experts say for an invasion to happen more troops would need to be deployed there.

Dr Fred Kagan, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told the Guardian: “This will likely require an invasion on a scale not dissimilar to 2003, somewhere between 150,000 and 200,000 troops.”

But he estimates that a force that size could be stationed along the border by the end of January.

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