Desperate Putin feared to be moving weapons across ‘thousands of miles’

Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 (Image: GETTY) Vladimir Putin may be replenishing the military arsenal used in Ukraine by moving weaponry across thousands of miles, an expert has speculated. Yu Koizumi, a lecturer at the University of Tokyo, analysed satellite images of Iturup (also known as Etorofu) and Kunashir islands provided by US space tech company Maxar Technologies. These islands, both territories occupied by the Soviet Union in the mid-1940s and claimed by Japan , are known to have been used to store Russian military equipment. Now, Mr Koizumi believes multiple Russian air defence missile systems have been moved off the contended isles, Japanese publication Kyodo News wrote. Observing the more recent satellite images and comparing them with previous ones, the expert said missile units equipped with S-300V4 surface-to-air missile systems used to be stationed at both Hitokappu Bay, known as Kasatka Bay in Russia , and near Kunashiri’s central settlement of Furukamappu, known as Yuzhno-Kurilsk in Russia . A Russian anti-aircraft missile launcher S-300V (Image: GETTY) Transporter erector launchers carrying S-300V4 missiles, radars, and other equipment were visible in satellite images dating back to mid and late-September 2022. Mr Koizumi speculated it is possible the arsenal was redeployed to Russia ‘s western region, near its border with Ukraine , in preparation for a potential attack. The expert also claimed troops from the Far East have been deployed to Ukraine in the past months, including residents of the contended islands. He claimed: “The Russian military is deploying all weapons at their disposal, which is evidence of their active engagement in the conflict.” Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022. But while Russian troops were expected to enter Kyiv within days, Ukraine has been resisting for more than 18 months, and in June it began its counter-offensive aimed at regaining territories in the southern and eastern part of its soil. The Russian Army has so far lost more than 260,000 troops, 4400 tanks, 5507 artillery and 310 helicopters, according to data shared by the Kyiv Post. Earlier this summer, the Financial Times cited Antony Radakin, Chief of the UK Defence Staff, saying it is believed Russia “has lost nearly half the combat effectiveness of its army” since the invasion began. He added: “Last year it fired 10 million artillery shells but at best can produce 1 million shells a year. It has lost 2,500 tanks and at best can produce 200 [new] tanks a year.”