Thread by @jseldin

NEW: #Russia has repositioned a small number of troops arrayed vs #Kyiv over last 24 hours - some heading to #Belarus, per @PentagonPresSec

"None of them have repositioned to their home garrison" he adds

.@DeptofDefense believes #Russia likely to refit the moved troops and send them elsewhere in #Ukraine

Repositioning affects less than 20% of the troops arrayed vs #Kyiv - "They're leaving Kyiv & heading more to the north...away from the city" per @PentagonPresSec

NEW: "We would concur w/the conclusion that Mr. Putin has not been fully informed by his Ministry of Defense at every turn" per @PentagonPresSec

https://twitter.com/jseldin/status/1509196110971158533?s=20&t=xoG0NMequJXYL9sWvDbXZg

US believes majority of #Russia|n forces arrayed vs #Kyiv "still there" per @PentagonPresSec

"But the airstrikes have not stopped. Not at all" he says

#Russia|n troops arrayed vs #Chernihiv, town of #Sumy, also appear to be part of the repositioning, per @PentagonPresSec

#Russia|n deescalation? "We haven't seen any evidence of that" despite the repositioning that appears to be underway, per @PentagonPresSec

Troops being repositioned - "We haven't seen any of them go elsewhere inside #Ukraine" per @PentagonPresSec

But he notes #Wagner Group now has about 1,000 mercenaries in the #Donbas

#Russia focusing its airpower still on the north of #Ukraine - #Kyiv, #Karkhiv, #Chernihiv - & the #Donbas, per @PentagonPresSec

Use of #Wagner Group in the #Donbas - "This is an area where the #Wagner Group is experienced" per @PentagonPresSec, noting the group's mercenaries have operated there over the pst 8 years

#Russia|n repositioning from around #Kyiv - "We're seeing units go...its our assessment that they are also bringing much of their equipment with them-for refit, we believe" per @PentagonPresSec

#Mariupol-"It is obviously devastating...just how significant the damage the #Russia|ns are doing" per @PentagonPresSec

"The place is just being decimated...from the onslaught of Russian airstrikes" he says, much of it targeting civilian infrastructure-schools, hospitals, etc

#Russia as an acute threat? "This is a military that remains potent" per @PentagonPresSec "Look at places like #Mariupol-you can see it for yourself"

US military posture in #Europe...

"It's safe to assume that given what #Russia has done...you can bet that senior leaders here at the department are going to take a look at our [European] posture going forward" per @PentagonPresSec

https://twitter.com/jseldin/status/1509177495098204171?s=20&t=Vjngk6wbqARSdjWHqyujZQ

Discussions about US military posture in #Europe have been going on prior to #Russia's invasion of #Ukraine, per @PentagonPresSec

Informal discussions have been constant - but @DeptofDefense has not mapped out what changes could look like

Moving US ships out of the #BlackSea was "prudent...as an invasion became more imminent" per @PentagonPresSec

US-#Russia deconfliction line - no talks, per @PentagonPresSec

"Thus far they've not been willing to do that"

#Putin's lack of info about #Russia|n struggle in #Ukraine - "The fact that he may not have all the context...that's a little disconcerting to be honest with you" per @PentagonPresSec

US sees indications of #Ukraine forces taking ground/moving forward/"clawing back" in areas #Russia has been pulling away, per @PentagonPresSec

#Mariupol - "There are some #Russia|n forces that are very very close to city center" per @PentagonPresSec, describing the fighting as heavy even as #Russia's aerial bombardment continues

#Kyiv - "The city continues to be under threat of airstrike & bombardment...even as #Russia begins to reposition some of its troops" per @PentagonPresSec

"We have seen indications the #Wagner Group is recruiting in paces like #Syria...northern #Africa [#Libya]" per @PentagonPresSec

#Russia advanced elements never got closer than 15-20km from #Kyiv city center, per @PentagonPresSec

Russian troops near the #Hostamel airfield appear to be the first to reposition away from #Kyiv, he says

US security assistance continuing to arrive in #Ukraine, including abt a dozen from the latest $800 million package with more to come, per @PentagonPresSec

"Nobody's shortchanging the types of threats they [#Russia] continue to pose" per @PentagonPresSec, q'd on @DeptofDefense use of "acute" to describe the threat from #Moscow in the FY2023 budget

NEW: NO indications of #China military assistance to #Russia so far, per @PentagonPresSec

Don't expect a formal after-action review on US military intelligence estimates on #Russia-#Ukraine - bcs not a war the US is fighting, per @PentagonPresSec

"We're going to learn from our own behaviors here...how we've helped Ukraine defend itself"

#Ukrainian "success on the field of battle is not an accident" per @PentagonPresSec, pushing back vs idea US underestimated abilities of #Ukraine armed forces

If #Russia is serious about deescalation in #Ukraine "then send those troops home rather than into #Belarus to resupply" per @PentagonPresSec

"It understandably would be an issue of concern for not just our European allies & partners but certainly for #Ukraine if if Mr. Putin is misinformed or uninformed about what's going on" per @PentagonPresSec

"It's his military. It's his war. He chose it" per @PentagonPresSec "And so the fact that he may not have all the context, that he may not fully understand the degree to which his forces are failing in #Ukraine, that's a little discomforting, to be honest with you"

"One outcome of that could be a less than faithful effort at negotiating some sort of settlement here" per @PentagonPresSec "If he's [#Putin] not fully informed of how poorly he's doing, then then how are his negotiators going to come up with an agreement that is enduring"

"The other thing is, you don't know how a leader like that is going to react to to getting bad news" per @PentagonPresSec on #Putin not being given accurate info by his advisers "So yes, it's disconcerting"