Thread by @jseldin

NEW: US now assesses 90% of #Russia's pre-staged combat power has entered #Ukraine, per senior US defense official

"Heavy bombardment in the cities to the north & to the east...#Kyiv, #Chernihiv & #Kharkiv" per official

BUT Russian forces in the north still "largely stalled"

US unable to confirm #Kherson has been taken by #Russia, per senior US defense official

#Mariupol still holding out despite #Russia|n attempts to encircle the city, per official

"We assess the #Ukrainian air & missile defense system remains intact & remain effective" per senior US defense official

#Ukraine also able to fly its own jets as airspace over the country remains contested

US assesses +480 #Russia|n missile launches since start of invasion, per senior US defense official

US cannot confirm reports Russia has used #cluster munitions or #thermobaric weapons, official says

#Ukraine "still have a majority of their air & missile defense capabilities available to them" per senior US defense official

#Russia missile attacks-majority are coming from inside #Ukraine - +230 - from mobile systems, per senior US defense official

+ 160 launched from #Russia

+70 launched from #Belarus

abt 10 launched from #BlackSea

#Ukraine military - "We continue to see them resist & fight & defend their territory & their resources quite effectively" per senior US defense official

Weather conditions are impacting ability of US to use overhead imagery, but senior US defense official says US has other ways of getting info/intel on the situation

In north, NE, "the #Russia|ns are still largely stalled" but have made it to the outskirts of #Kharkiv, per sr US defense official

US not seen Russia call for reinforcements outside of the +150,000 forces pre-staged vs #Ukraine

"They are still drawing on that combat power"

#Ukraine "continue to resist in many different ways...w/weapon systems that allow them to target vehicles" per senior US defense official "They're being very creative & their using the suite of their capabilities"

#Russia's failure to establish air superiority due to several factors-include #Ukraine's careful marshaling of its air defense capabilities, risk adversity bu Russia & misapplication of air power by #Moscow, per senior US defense official

#Russia nuclear deterrence on high alert - "We continue to watch this very very closely...we're comfortable we have the appropriate deterrence posture in place" per senior US defense official

Fate of #Kherson #Ukraine - "We cannot independently confirm reports that the city has fallen" per senior US defense official

Best indications is "they're still fighting there" per official "We're not ready to call it one way or another"

More on #Kherson-"We do assess that 1 possible...outcome here for the Russians is to be to move past Kherson to a [#Mykolaiv] so that they can then position themsel to the northeast of #Odessa" per senior US defense official

#Russia|n forces trying to regroup - "They've trying every single days but they have been flummoxed & they have been frustrated" per senior US defense official

NEW: US assesses #Russia|n advanced columns sent to move on #Kyiv still 25km north of the city - getting no closer over the past couple of days, per senior US defense official

"We don't assess there are any other elements closer than that" per official on #Kyiv

US is in contact w/#Ukraine President @ZelenskyyUa who "continues to have command & control" over his forces, per senior US defense official, calling Zelenskyy's efforts "commendable"

US also remain concerned about his safety

US continuing to provide information/advice/intelligence to #Ukraine "as we assess would be most helpful" per senior US defense official

Rejects reports any help has been held up by legal concerns/lawyers

#Russia bogged down by mud, flat tires-"pretty obvious that's happening" per senior US defense official

"Certainly can't dispute what you can see w/you eyes, but hat effect that has had...we don't know that" per official "We believe their movement has stalled for many reasons"

"It's clear to us that both sides posses drone" per senior US defense official

But official declines to comment on how #Ukraine, #Russia are using drones

#Russia launching many of its missile strikes "in periods of darkness" per senior US defense official

Reserving judgement on ability of Russian forces to conduct night fighting ops

"Clearly they've shown a willingness to hit civilian infrastructure on purpose" per senior US defense official, pointing to targeting of communication towers

"Obviously, they are hitting residential areas" official adds

"We know that they have the launching systems" in #Ukraine to launch #thermobaric weapons, per senior US defense official

"But we cannot confirm those weapons themselves are inUkraine" or about use, per official