Russian forces are “frustrated” they haven’t yet been able to capture any Ukrainian cities during their ongoing invasion of the country launched earlier this week, according to one US senior defense official who spoke to Reuters.
According to the report, the US official, who was not named by the outlet, said Russian forces had not planned to bring enough fuel or for other basic logistics.
“We know that they have not made the progress that they have wanted to make, particularly in the north. They have been frustrated by what they have seen is a very determined resistance,” the official told Reuters, adding: “It has slowed them down.”
An unnamed US official told Fox News: “We continue to believe, based on what we’ve observed, that this resistance is greater than what the Russians expected.”
The British Defense Ministry on Saturday made similar claims, saying: “The speed of the Russian advance has temporarily slowed likely as a result of acute logistical difficulties and strong Ukrainian resistance,” according to the Associated Press.
Per the AP, a senior US defense official, who was not named in the report, said the US estimated more than half of Russian troops stationed along Ukraine’s borders had entered the country.
“Russian forces are bypassing major Ukrainian population centres while leaving forces to encircle and isolate them,” the ministry said.
The unprovoked Russian assault began on Thursday after weeks of warnings by the US that an attack was likely. Russian President Vladimir Putin Russian had denied that an attack was imminent.
Russian forces were about 19 miles outside of Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital city, on Saturday night, according to Britain and US intelligence, the AP reported.
Russia has claimed its forces have only targeted military targets as part of Ukraine’s military operation, however, attacks have been reported to include apartment buildings, at schools, and bridges. Video captured early Saturday morning local time showed a missile striking an apartment building in southwestern Kyiv.
So far, 198 people, including three children, have been killed and more than 1,000 others have been wounded, Ukraine’s health minister said, according to the AP report.
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