The Ukrainian resistance frustrates and confuses Moscow. At least that’s what the Pentagon thinks. According to the information Russia is currently stepping up its military offensive from the air and sea, because the advance of their own troops is held up by the “skill” of the Ukrainian army. The Kremlin is “desperately trying” to increase its combat momentum, a senior US defense official in Washington said. The Russian troops are “frustrated and confused” by a Ukrainian resistance that, despite being outnumbered in soldiers and armed, withstood the attacks.
The armed forces under the command of Russian President Vladimir Putin have recently stepped up their operations, according to the US official – In the past 24 hours alone, they have flown more than 300 airstrikes. Kyiv also responded with increased air operations. Few of the missions are close-ranged combat, with Moscow primarily firing air-to-surface missiles from Russian or Belarusian airspace at Ukrainian targets, the US official said.
In the northern Black Sea, Russia is showing “increased naval activity” with the deployment of several warships, the officer said. However, this is not a clear sign of an impending attack on the port city of Odessa. “What we are seeing here is an almost desperate attempt by the Russians to turn the situation in their favor,” the official said. He pointed out that Russian forces were still stuck 15 kilometers northwest and 30 kilometers east of Kyiv on the 26th day of the offensive.