Russia's invasion of Ukraine as seen in satellite photos

A satellite photo captured on March 22, 2022 by Maxar Technologies' Worldview-3 satellite, shows smoke rising from bomb-shattered apartment blocks in Mariupol, some of the houses around them reduced to rubble as well.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, has hit Mariupol particularly hard. Russia views the capture of the southeastern port city as a key priority and has hammered it hard with missiles and artillery, destroying houses, shopping malls and many other buildings in the process.

Related:

• Ukraine invasion's impacts on space exploration: Live updates
• Ukraine plans to join the EU. Will the nation's space prospects expand as a result?
• Russia says it used a hypersonic missile in Ukraine for first time: report

Maxar Technologies' WorldView-3 satellite captured this image of buildings on fire in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol on March 22, 2022. 

This photo, taken by a Planet satellite on March 21, 2022, shows a destroyed theater in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. The Russian word for "children" is written in white outside the theater. 

Ukrainian officials have said that about 1,300 people were hunkered down in the theater when it was bombed on March 16. Perhaps 200 survived the attack, according to CNN, though it's tough to get an accurate count because Mariupol remains a war zone.

This satellite image taken by the WorldView-2 satellite operated by Maxar Technologies has captured views of artillery firing near Kyiv, Ukraine as Russian military forces continue their invasion on that country. 

A view of the sarcophagus covering of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine and its surrounding area as seen by Maxar satellites on March 10, 2022.

A satellite image collected by Maxar Technologies on March 9 reveals severe damage to civilian structures in the besieged city of Mariupol, Ukraine.

The image, released by Maxar, was taken by the company's WorldView 3 Earth-observing satellite.

Russian military forces invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022 and have been carrying out deadly attacks across the country ever since. See satellite images of the buildup to Russia's invasion and the resulting destruction in this Space.com gallery. 

In the radar image above, taken by U.S. Earth-observation company Capella Space, Russian troops are seen assembling near the collapsed Chernobyl nuclear power plant close to the borders of Ukraine, shortly after the invasion on Feb. 24. 

This image, snapped on Feb. 4, 2022, by Maxar's Worldview 3 satellite, shows VD Bolshoy Bokov Airfield near Mazyr, Belarus, before Russian troops moved into the area.

Helicopters in Belgorod in Russia, as seen on Feb. 13, 2022.

Luninets Air Base in Belarus as seen on Feb. 14, 2022. 

"Su-25 ground attack aircraft (total of 32), helicopters, an S-400 air defense unit, ground force equipment and a UAV/drone unit are seen at Luninets airfield (location: 52.276, 26.780), approximately 50 kilometers [31 miles] north of the border with Ukraine," Maxar officials said in a statement.

A close-up view of air defense units at Luninets Airfield in Belarus, observed by Maxar's WorldView 3 satellite on Feb. 14, 2022. 

Drone technology at Luninets Airfield in Belarus, observed on Feb. 14, 2022.

Ground attack aircraft at Luninets Air Base in Belarus, as seen on Feb. 14, 2022. 

Helicopters are pictured by Crimea's Lake Donuzlav on Feb. 18, 2022, in this image from Maxar's WorldView 2 satellite. "A large deployment of helicopters (more than 60 helicopters) remain deployed at Lake Donuzlav," Maxar officials said in a statement.

The Millerovo Air Base in Russia is pictured in this WorldView 3 satellite image, captured on Feb. 15, 2022.

"A new helicopter unit and battle group deployment consisting of tanks, armored personnel carriers and support equipment has deployed to Millerovo airfield, situated approximate 16 kilometers [10 miles] from the Ukraine border," Maxar said in an image description.

This WorldView 3 satellite image, captured on Feb. 15, 2022, shows a new helicopter unit consisting of more than 20 helicopters was deployed near Valuyki, Russia, approximately 17 miles (27 kilometers) east of the border with Ukraine

Helicopter deployment and troops in Valuyki, Russia as seen by Maxar's WorldView 1 satellite on Feb. 16, 2022.

This WorldView 1 satellite image, captured on Feb. 16, 2022, shows at least 50 new helicopters at Lida airfield in northwestern Belarus. 

A convoy of armored equipment in Crimea as seen on Feb. 18, 2022.

Tents and a field hospital in Novoozernoye in Crimea as seen on Feb. 18, 2022.

This image, snapped on Feb. 21, 2022, by Maxar's WorldView 3 satellite, shows new deployments of material support and troops at Krasnyi Oktyabr in Russia, southwest of Belgorod.

This image, snapped on Feb. 21, 2022, by Maxar's WorldView 3 satellite, shows an overview of new deployments in a clearing southwest of Belgorod.

This image, snapped on Feb. 21, 2022, by Maxar's GeoEye 1 satellite, shows armor and vehicles at a railyard in Veselaya Lopan, southwest of Belgorod.

This image, snapped on Feb. 21, 2022, by Maxar's WorldView 2 satellite, shows an overview of a field hospital and troop deployment in western  Belgorod.

This image, snapped on Feb. 21, 2022, by Maxar's WorldView 2 satellite, shows a closeup of a field hospital and troop deployment in western  Belgorod.

This image, snapped on Feb. 22, 2022, by Maxar's WorldView 1 satellite, shows an overview of new deployments at Pochep, Russia.

This image, snapped on Feb. 22, 2022, by Maxar's WorldView 3 satellite, shows a closeup of assembled vehicles at VD Bolshoy Bokov Airfield. 

Full story: Military activity in Russia spotted in satellite photos as tensions rise in Ukraine

This image, snapped on Feb. 22, 2022, by Maxar's WorldView 3 satellite, shows new deployments at VD Bolshoy Bokov Airfield near Mazyr, Belarus.

This image, snapped on Feb. 22, 2022, by Maxar's WorldView 1 satellite, shows land clearing and new deployments at Pochep, Russia.

This image, snapped on Feb. 22, 2022, by Maxar's WorldView 1 satellite, shows troop tents and a housing area at Pochep, Russia.

 This image, snapped on Feb. 22, 2022, by a Maxar WorldView satellite, shows heavy equipment transporters in western Klintsy, Russia.

This image from a Planet satellite shows Chuhuiv Airbase on Feb. 21, 2022.

Full story: Satellite photos reveal details of Russian invasion into Ukraine

Ukraine's Chuhuiv Airbase on Feb. 24, 2022, as seen by a satellite operated by the company Planet.

Full story: Satellite photos reveal details of Russian invasion into Ukraine

The Mikolaiv Airbase in Ukiraine on Feb. 21, 2022.

Full story: Satellite photos reveal details of Russian invasion into Ukraine

The Mikolaiv Airbase in Ukiraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

Full story: Satellite photos reveal details of Russian invasion into Ukraine

An image from Maxar's WorldView 1 satellite shows the border crossing between Ukraine and Romania, near Siret, Romania, on Feb. 25, 2022.

Earth observation satellites captured a 40-mile-long (64 kilometers) Russian military convoy approaching Ukraine's capital Kyiv, on Feb. 28, 2022.

Full story: Satellite photos show 40-mile-long Russian military convoy nearing Ukraine's capital Kyiv

A 40-mile long Russian military convoy is seen from space approaching Ukraine's besieged capital Kyiv, on Feb. 28, 2022.

Full story: Satellite photos show 40-mile-long Russian military convoy nearing Ukraine's capital Kyiv

In addition to the convoy, troops and helicopters were spotted in southern Belarus, less than 20 miles (32 km) from the border with Ukraine, on Feb. 28, 2022. Here, attack helicopters are seen at a military airport in Belarus near the border with Ukraine.

Full story: Satellite photos show 40-mile-long Russian military convoy nearing Ukraine's capital Kyiv

Military equipment was spotted in Belarus near the border with Ukraine, on Feb. 28, 2022.

Full story: Satellite photos show 40-mile-long Russian military convoy nearing Ukraine's capital Kyiv

A Maxar satellite image shows Russian airborne forces in Zdvyzhivka, Ukraine, on Feb. 28, 2022.

This BlackSky satellite image, collected over Chernihiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 28, 2022 at 12:22 local time (UTC+2), shows an Epicentr K home improvement warehouse ablaze with scorched fields a few hundred meters east following shelling in the area.

Full story: Russian attack sets Ukrainian home-improvement store ablaze (satellite photo)

An annotated version of the BlackSky image captured on Feb. 28, 2022, with inset photos of the area from Feb. 26 to provide a before-and-after view.

Full story: Russian attack sets Ukrainian home-improvement store ablaze (satellite photo)

A 40-mile long Russian military convoy is seen from space approaching Ukraine's besieged capital Kyiv, on Feb. 28, 2022.

Full story: Satellite photos show 40-mile-long Russian military convoy nearing Ukraine's capital Kyiv

A 40-mile long Russian military convoy is seen from space approaching Ukraine's besieged capital Kyiv, on Feb. 28, 2022.

Full story: Satellite photos show 40-mile-long Russian military convoy nearing Ukraine's capital Kyiv

Maxar satellite imagery shows destroyed military vehicles and homes in a residential area south of Antonov Airport in Bucha, Ukraine, on Feb. 28, 2022..

An image from Maxar's WorldView 2 satellite shows a destroyed factory building west of Chernihiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 28, 2022.

An image from Maxar's WorldView 2 satellite shows a destroyed bridge and homes in Chernihiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 28, 2022.

Maxar satellite imagery reveals burning homes and impact craters in Rivnopillya, Ukraine, on Feb. 28, 2022.

An image from Maxar's WorldView 3 satellite shows the northern end of a Russian convoy with resupply vehicles southeast of Ivankiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 28, 2022.

An image from Maxar's WorldView 3 satellite shows the southern end of a large military convoy on the edge of Antonov Airport, on Feb. 28, 2022.