Between the start of the war last Thursday (24) and the morning of this Tuesday (1), the United States has already recorded more than 400 missiles fired by Russia against Ukraine, according to a top US defense official.
The Ukrainians still have air missile defense systems that remain “viable, intact and engaged,” the official told the BBC. CNN.
The official also said that while Russia has yet to achieve air superiority, “there are areas where they have more control than others.”
A senior US defense source also informed the CNN that the advance of Russian forces towards the Ukrainian capital of Kiev remains “basically where it was yesterday”.
The Russians are not only experiencing “fuel and support” problems, but are showing signs of running out of food, the official said.
The official cited a number of possible reasons for the shutdown, including Ukrainian resistance.
The official also cited the possibility that the Russians were pausing their advance by choice because they could be “regrouping, rethinking, reassessing”.
THE CNN previously reported that the US believes Russia is resorting to heavier firepower and more devastating weapons systems.
“They will regroup, adjust, change their tactics,” the official said, adding that the Russian Defense Ministry openly admitted that it would target civilian areas in Kiev.
But the official also noted that the Russian military appears to be “risk averse” when it comes to its own troops.
“There has been evidence over the past six days of some risk-averse behavior on the part of the Russian military,” the official said.
“You’ve seen it on the ground, where units are surrendering, sometimes without a fight. And they have, a lot of these soldiers are conscripts, they’ve never been in combat before, some of whom we believe weren’t even told they would be in combat. So we’re just seeing evidence of a little risk aversion.”
Alert for civilians
The Russian military said on Tuesday it would carry out attacks on facilities in Kiev, warning civilians living near the areas to leave. According to them, the targets would be the State Security Agency and the 72nd Main Center for Information and Psychological Operations in Kiev,
After the warning, however, there was an attack on a TV tower in Kiev – as revealed by photos and videos posted on social networks that were geolocated and verified by the CNN.
The Interior Ministry stated that at least five people were killed during the attack and five were injured.
Local television channel 1+1 said it would work to restore any lost signals. “The channels will not work for a while,” the Ukrainian ministry said in a statement. “Backup streaming of some channels will be enabled in the near future.”
train approaches
A massive Russian convoy is approaching Kiev and US officials warn that Russia’s sheer numbers may be able to overcome Ukrainian resistance.
The 64km Russian column, made up of armored vehicles, tanks, towed artillery and other logistical vehicles, arrived on the outskirts of Ukraine’s capital, according to satellite images by Maxar Technologies.
Maxar said it saw clouds of smoke rising from several houses and buildings near the roads where the convoy is traveling, although it is unclear what the cause was.
Source: CNN Brasil
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