According to the Pentagon, the Russian military is trying to surround Ukrainian cities, including the capital Kyiv. “Kharkiv and Chernihiv, Mariupol – we see these efforts to encircle and surround,” a senior US defense official said Thursday.
This is also observed around the capital Kyiv. According to the official, the Russian soldiers came from several directions. “So what we’re seeing are these different lines of advance toward Kyiv.” Kyiv but is much larger than the other cities and is heavily defended.
The Russian armed forces had advanced further in the past 24 hours and could have gained an estimated five kilometers, it said. But that is not so much in relation to it. “As I said, Kyiv is well defended and Ukrainians are putting a lot of energy (…) to protect their capital,” the official said.
At this point in time, no statement can be made as to how long it will be before the Russians can properly invade Kyiv. In places, the Russian soldiers are around 15 kilometers from the city center.