Monday morning Pentagon background briefing on the war in Ukraine now concluded. Some noteworthy details on what is Day 5 since Russia's invasion to follow:
On Sunday, a senior U.S. defense official said that Russia appeared to adapting siege tactics on the northern city of Chernihiv. Today that official adds it appears similar tactics are in use in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, something that matches visuals widely available.
The senior U.S. official also says it appear that Russian forces are attempting to encircle Kyiv, raising concerns siege tactics could be used there, too.
Russia has continued a slow advance on Kyiv while taking losses in combat with the Ukrainians, the senior U.S. defense official said. On Sunday, Russia's main advance was about 30 kilometers from Kyiv city center. On Monday, it appears to be 25 kilometers away, official says.
The senior defense official said there are signs that the Russians have introduced the Wagner Group, a private Russian paramilitary organization that has appeared in Syria and Africa, to the war.
The senior U.S. defense official did not specify how they know that, or what role Wagner might have. The official acknowledged reports that Russians are hunting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but said the Defense Department does not have details.
"Reconnaissance units" are still in Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine, the senior U.S. official says. He did not identify them more specifically, but they are widely believed to include Spetznaz, Russian special operations forces. Ground fighting in Kyiv involves these units.
As of Monday morning in Washington, Russia has committed just under 75 percent of the combat power it staged at the Ukranian border before invading, up from about two-thirds on Sunday, the senior U.S. defense official said.
Russia has launched 380 missiles at Ukraine since the invasion began, up from 320 on Sunday and 250 on Saturday, senior U.S. official says.
Airspace over at least parts of Ukraine continue to be contested, the U.S. official said, in contradiction to U.S. assessments before the war that the Russians would dominate the skies within a day or two. Russia continues to target Ukrainian air defenses, U.S. official adds.
I asked if cluster munitions or multiple rocket launch systems are being used in Kharkiv. Senior U.S. defense official said he could not confirm. From reports on the ground, that appears to be the case.
If Russia can seize Kharkiv and Mariupol, “that would allow them to section off the eastern part of Ukraine and fix whatever Ukrainian armed forces are in the east and keep them there,” far from the capital city of Kyiv, the senior U.S. defense official said.
Finally, the United States has not seen "any specific muscle movements" so far from Russia's nuclear forces following Putin's order Sunday to raise their alert level.
Appears U.S. continues to take that scenario seriously, while also seeing it as a messaging tool for Putin.
Appears U.S. continues to take that scenario seriously, while also seeing it as a messaging tool for Putin.
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