Thread by @DanLamothe

At the Pentagon, a Tuesday morning background briefing about the war in Ukraine with a senior U.S. defense official has concluded. Important updates:

The 40 mile-long column of Russian tanks and combat vehicles that has been spotted in satellite imagery has “stalled” north of Kyiv, the senior U.S. defense official said. Several possible reasons for it, and it could be more than one of them.

There are indications that Russian forces are "regrouping" after their haphazard operation so far hasn't yielded the results they expected. They continue to deal with fuel shortages, and the senior U.S. defense official said food shortages have come up, too.

The senior U.S. defense official said that the column effectively has not moved in a day. On Monday, he said that it was about 30 kilometers north of Kyiv city center.

About 80 percent of the combat power that Russia prestaged at the Ukrainian border is now committed to the war, up from just under 75 percent Monday, and the Russians are shelling Kyiv, the senior U.S. defense official said. We've seen many reports of that from the ground.

The United States has seen signs that Russian soldiers in the invasion force, especially young conscripted ones, did not know they were being sent to combat, the senior U.S. defense official said.

The Pentagon has seen Russia deploying multiple rocket launcher systems in Ukraine that could be used to launch thermobaric rounds, the senior defense official said.

Such weapons are designed to ignite fuel while using oxygen in the air.

Airspace remains contested, the senior U.S. defense official said, despite the massive size advantage the Russian military has. The situation is "dynamic," he adds.

Russia has now launched about 400 missiles at Ukraine since the invasion began, senior U.S. defense official says. That's up from about 380 on Monday.

In the southern portion of Ukraine, Russian and Ukrainian forces are fighting in the city of Kherson, and Russia has occupied Berdyansk and taken possession of Melitopol, a city of about 150,000, the senior U.S. defense official said.

Russia remains outside the major southern city of Mariupol, and is now close enough to attack it with artillery and other long-range fires, the senior defense official said.

Finally, a sobering note we've heard from several analysts, too: Russia is still expected to adjust and has combat power to do so, senior U.S. defense official said.

My story today.

Russia’s invasion began with precision missiles, but weapons are changing as siege war begins

washingtonpost.com/national-secur…