Journalists of Bellingcat confirmed the presence of armored vehicles of the militants near Lugansk

According to him, over 30 units of equipment are seeing is tanks.

International expert and journalist group Bellingcat analyzed post to Twitter user @GirkinGirkin, which shows armored vehicles, including tanks.

The user claims the pictures were downloaded on 16 March 2017, near the village of Buhaivka Luhansk region, located in the occupied militants “LNR” territories.

Published March 17, the Bellingcat report has verified this information.

Based on the analysis of satellite images from Digital Globe, taken Wednesday, March 15, at Bellingcat have confirmed that Russian-separatist forces currently holding dozens of pieces of heavy military equipment near Buhaivka.

The settlement is South of Alchevsk and about 40 km West-South-West from Lugansk. The nearest Ukrainian positions are approximately about 35km to the North and West of the camp. And the distance to Kiev-controlled Popasna is about 43 km away.

It is noted that Buhaivka and its surroundings are within the limits agreed by the Minsk agreements line withdrawal of heavy military equipment, and the presence of tanks on its territory is a violation of the agreement.

According to investigators, in the summer of 2015 at this place were established military training center since June 4 in this area there were no signs of war, and on 20 July 2015, there were traces of intensive use and the presence of military equipment.

The satellite images in this region on the object seen tanks and towed howitzers. About the presence of military equipment in the area are also repeatedly reported by the OSCE observers (reports from December 1, 2015 November 11, 2016, 5 January 2017 and March 9, 2017).

Changing the number of techniques observed in the report of the OSCE points to the constant presence of the same equipment in the area. In the report of the OSCE stated that only the presence of howitzers under Buhaivka is regarded as the “violation line drain”, while the presence of tanks are classified as “weapons outside of the line of withdrawal, but not at the location”.

The author of the report said that recent satellite images from Digital Globe talking about the continued use of the facility as well as a likely violation of the agreement on the withdrawal of heavy weapons. According to him, over 30 units of equipment are seeing is tanks. Another 20 objects are probably the D30 howitzers, whose presence is a violation of the agreed lines for the artillery.

The tanks in the area of Buhaivka documented up to recent satellite imagery, taken on 15 March 2017.

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