Satellite images show new military deployments in Belarus, western Russia

New satellite images show increased military activity in southern Belarus, as well as new deployments of troops and equipment in western Russia as tensions continue to escalate with Ukraine.

The satellite images show a new deployment of more than 100 vehicles and dozens of troop shelters at the V.D. Bolshoi Bokov aerodrome, located near the city of Mazyr in southern Belarus.

The photos were taken Tuesday and published by Maxar Technologies.

• Donbas, Donetsk, Luhansk: Ukraine's regions on the brink

In western Russia, satellite images taken on Monday detail several new deployments of troops and equipment in rural areas south of the city of Belgorod, which is less than 20 kilometres from the Ukrainian border.

Other images, taken Tuesday, show Russian military vehicles and tents in the towns of Pochep and Klintsy, bordering Ukraine on the northeast.

Ukraine began urging its citizens to leave Russia after tensions escalated dramatically Tuesday when Russian President Vladimir Putin got the OK from lawmakers to use military force outside his country.

This comes after Putin signed a decree recognizing the two pro-Russian breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent entities, which Western nations fear are potential ground zeros for invasion.

The escalation has prompted a raft of economic sanctions against Russia from Western countries, including Canada and the U.S.