Thread by @jseldin

NEW: @SecDef Lloyd Austin will travel w/@POTUS to #Brussels & #Poland for mtgs with @NATO allies on #Russia-#Ukraine, per @PentagonPresSec

NEW: "We have not seen an influx into #Ukraine of #foreignfighters hired or recruited by #Russia, but we continue to see an interest by Russia in doing just that"
per @PentagonPresSec

re #Wagner Group - "We know they're there & we know they wants to increase their presence"

Efforts among US, allies to get #Ukraine long-range air defense systems - "These are active, active consultations" per @PentagonPresSec

"We're all mindful of the clock & that #Russia's intensifying their bombardment" of Ukrainian cities, population centers

NEW-"We're on day 26 - the #Russia|ns have clearly not achieved many or almost all of the objectives they set out to achieve" per @PentagonPresSec

"What you look at what they've managed to do in 26 days, it's not that impressive" he says

re #Ukraine

"They're [#Russia] lobbying an awful lot of hardware into these cities to try to force their surrender...its increased" per @PentagonPresSec "...Bcs they are essentially still stalled"

"It's largely indiscriminate" he adds of the Russian bombardment of #Ukraine

#Russia-"They have increased their activity in the northern #BlackSea" per @PentagonPresSec

Adds it is difficult to know what the shelling from surface vessels in the Black Sea means as far as Russian strategy for #Odesa, region

#Mariupol-"The #Ukrainians are very much defending" the city, per @PentagonPresSec "The bombardment...has intensified over recent days"

"They clearly want to take Mariupol" he says, possibly "to squeeze off eastern #Ukraine

#Russia|ns still "have not achieved air superiority" despite having surface-to-air missile coverage over most of #Ukraine, per @PentagonPresSec

Most of the Russian coverage comes from outside Ukraine

"Certainly not all of the [#Russia|n] air-launched cruise missile strikes...are coming from inside Ukrainian air space" per @PentagonPresSec

Earlier a sr defense official said evidence shows many Russian pilots are "risk adverse" to flying into #Ukraine

"We remain committed to help #Ukraine defend themselves" per @PentagonPresSec "We're going to keep doing that as much & as fast as we can"

More aid shipments coming soon, he says

#Russia-#ForeignFighters-#Ukraine

"We have not seen any indications that foreign fighters outside of private military contractors have flowed into #Ukraine" per @PentagonPresSec

#Russia air strikes/fires vs civilian targets in #Ukraine likely intentional per @DeptofDefense

"We continue to see indiscriminate attacks against civilians which we believe in many cases is intentional"
per @PentagonPresSec

#Russia|n missteps in #Ukraine have not abated, US says

"They're still have fuel problems. They're still having trouble feeding their troops" per @PentagonPresSec

More from a sr US defense official earlier:

https://twitter.com/jseldin/status/1505914559776927754?s=20&t=tbzBkNszsN7mAY9LTXX_6A

NEW: US seeing "clear evidence that #Russia|n forces are committing war crimes" in #Ukraine, per @PentagonPresSec

More: @PentagonPresSec says US military helping to document the alleged #Russia|n war crimes in #Ukraine

#Moscow alleged use of #hypersonic cruise missiles vs #Ukraine- "We've seen the #Russia|n claim...we're not in a position to refute that claim but we're also not able to independently verify" per @PentagonPresSec