Thursday, March 10, 2022

A Canadian satellite company is providing real-time imagery to Ukraine to help track Russian troop movements


Urooba Jamal
Wed, March 9, 2022, 

Maxar satellite imagery of burning homes and impact craters in Rivnopillya, Ukraine 
Satellite image (c) 2022 Maxar Technologies


Remote sensing technology can track the movements of Russian soldiers.


Ukraine's digital transformation minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, had previously appealed for satellite data.


The Canadian firm's assistance forms part of growing international support for Ukraine's defense.

A Canadian satellite builder and operator is providing Ukraine with real-time satellite imagery to help it monitor Russian troop movements.

The technology provided by Ontario-based MDA uses remote sensing to track Russian forces on the ground in Ukraine in real-time, including at night or when conditions are cloudy, Reuters first reported.


The company received approval from the Canadian government on March 4 to share the imagery with Ukraine, Reuters reported.

Ukraine's armed forces, greatly outnumbered by Russian firepower and troops, have been receiving support from international donors to help mount a defense against Russia's invasion. Countries have provided weapons, expertise, and other forms of assistance but have refused to send troops to Ukraine amid concerns that it would escalate the conflict.

Ukraine's minister of digital transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, on March 1 made an appeal via his Twitter feed seeking synthetic aperture radar, or SAR, satellite data to help monitor Russian forces.

"We badly need the opportunity to watch the movement of Russian troops, especially at night when our technologies are blind," Federov said.

In addition to tracking troops, images from MDA's technology can pick out vehicles, infrastructure, and ships in all weather conditions, MDA's CEO, Mike Greenley, told Reuters.

"We can deliver intelligence reports and people can make determinations of what's going on the ground, or on the sea, from our radar imagery," Greenley told the agency.

Greenley told Reuters that the intelligence is sent securely via Western-based commercial agencies or governments, and the company has tightened its security in anticipation of any Russian retaliation.

MDA did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment made outside normal working hours.

MDA satellite imagery may prove useful in monitoring the 40-mile-long convoy of Russian military vehicles that is stationed 18 miles north of Kyiv and includes tanks, armored vehicles, artillery and supplies.

Federov's Twitter appeal had also stated that the imagery and other open source tools could provide information about military buildups in neighboring countries as well as refugee flows.

Canada's support for Ukraine includes sending 4,500 M72 rocket launchers and 7,500 hand grenades to Ukraine, in addition to slapping tariffs on Russian imports and easing the immigration process for Ukrainians, The Globe and Mail reported.

Before and after satellite imagery highlights the devastation from Russia's attacks on Mariupol, Ukraine


Charles R. Davis
Wed, March 9, 2022, 

Satellite images show damaged houses in Mariupol, Ukraine
Satellite image ©2022 Maxar Technologies


The Ukrainian port city of Mariupol is being bombed and besieged by Russian forces.


Satellite images show what the city of more than 400,000 people looked like before and after the attack.


Ukraine accused Russia on Wednesday of bombing a maternity hospital in the city.


Before Russia's invasion last month, Mariupol was a bustling port city in southern Ukraine. But since the war began, it has been besieged and repeatedly struck by Russian airstrikes and artillery fire, with civilians reportedly shelled as they try to flee.

On Wednesday, the situation became even more grim, with reports that Russian attacks had leveled a children's and maternity hospital in the city of roughly 400,000 people.


Satellite images taken by the US firm Maxar Technologies — from June 2021 and March 9, 2022 — show the physical devastation from two weeks of war that have also killed more than 1,000 Ukrainian civilians.

Buildings and homes in Mariupol before the invasion

Buildings and homes before the invasion in Mariupol, Ukraine, June 21, 2021.Maxar

Destroyed buildings in homes in Mariupol after the invasion

Destroyed buildings in homes after the invasion in Mariupol, Ukraine, March 9, 2022.Maxar

Grocery stores and shopping malls before the invasion in western Mariupol

Grocery stores and shopping malls before the invasion in western Mariupol, Ukraine, June 21, 2021.Maxar

Destroyed grocery stores and shopping malls after the invasion in western Mariupol

Destroyed grocery stores and shopping malls after the invasion in western Mariupol, Ukraine, March 9, 2022.Maxar

Portcity shopping mall and other stores before the invasion in western Mariupol

Portcity shopping mall and other stores before the invasion in western Mariupol, Ukraine, June 21, 2021Maxar

Portcity shopping mall and other stores after the invasion in western Mariupol

Heavily damaged Portcity shopping mall and other stores after the invasion in western Mariupol, Ukraine, March 9, 2022.Maxar

Homes and buildings before the invasion in eastern Mariupol

Homes and buildings before the invasion in eastern Mariupol, Ukraine, June 21, 2021.Maxar

Homes and buildings after the invasion in eastern Mariupol

Homes and buildings after the invasion in eastern Mariupol, Ukraine, March 9, 2022.Maxar


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