A senior US protection official stated Wednesday that Russian forces had been “digging in” and taking extra defensive positions round Kyiv.
The official additionally revealed the US evaluation that Russian troops had been pushed again about 55 kilometers east and northeast of Ukraine’s capital over the past 24 hours.
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“We’re beginning to see now that they’re principally digging in, and they’re establishing defensive positions. So, it’s not that there’s they’re not advancing. They’re truly not attempting to advance proper now,” the official advised reporters on situation of anonymity.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine, which Vladimir Putin ordered on Feb. 24, has to date failed to realize the aim of capturing Kyiv and overthrowing its authorities.
However, the official stated that Russia is prioritizing the combat within the Donbas area, particularly in Luhansk and Donetsk. This could possibly be a part of Russia’s plan to chop off Ukrainian troops and never enable them to maneuver additional west to defend different cities, in line with the official.
The fierce resistance from the Ukrainian army and its folks was sudden by the Russians, in line with native and international officers.
Individually, the US protection official stated that new weapons shipments ought to arrive in Ukraine within the “subsequent day or so.”
“We’re already aggregating shares in america, and we’re on the point of ship them over there,” the official stated.
Whereas the official didn’t elaborate on what particular weapons can be shipped, they stated Washington was targeted on offering weapons to Ukraine that “they’re utilizing very successfully.”
The official talked about Javelins and Stingers.
This cargo is a part of a brand new, $800 million arms provide that US President Joe Biden introduced final week after Ukraine’s president gave a digital handle to US lawmakers.
Requested if the US would deploy extra troops from the States to Europe, the official didn’t rule something out. “We’re not going to take off the desk the likelihood that [Secretary Austin] will movement extra forces in [to Europe] from america or reposition from elsewhere in Europe,” the official stated.
As for Belarus and studies that it could deploy troops to Ukraine to assist Putin, the official stated there have been no indications that they had been “staging or on the point of go in.”
Learn extra: Russia summons US ambassador, warns ties with Washington on verge of collapsing