WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Satellite imagery taken on Sunday showed a large deployment of Russian ground forces including tanks moving in the direction of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv from approximately 40 miles (64 km) away, a private U.S. company said.

       The images released by Maxar Technologies Inc showed a deployment comprised of hundreds of military vehicles and extending more than 3.25 miles (5 km), Maxar said.

       The convey was situated northeast of the Ukrainian city of Ivankiv and contained fuel, logistics and armored vehicles including tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and self-propelled artillery, it said.

       The satellite images also showed damage caused by recent airstrikes on the Antonov airport in Hostomel, and heavy fighting in and near the airport, Maxar reported.

       Maxar has been tracking the buildup of Russian forces for weeks. Its images could not be independently verified by Reuters.

       (Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Will Dunham and Daniel Wallis)