Russia advances into Ukraine only against fierce resistance. The American Department of Defense is impressed – but remains realistic.
According to the US Department of Defense, the advance of Russian invading troops in Ukraine is still being held back by fierce resistance from the Ukrainians.
“Ukrainians are fiercely resisting,” a senior ministry official said in a briefing for journalists. “It’s heroic, it’s inspirational, and it’s very clear for the world to see.” One also observes “fuel and logistics bottlenecks” of the Russian troops.
“In our estimation, they did not anticipate the level of resistance they would encounter,” the government official said. However, it can be assumed that the Russian armed forces would adapt and overcome the challenges.
Kiev not taken yet
The Russian troops are putting Kiev more and more in their tongs. A large convoy of Russian military vehicles is advancing on the Ukrainian capital from the south, said the adviser to the Ukrainian Interior Minister, Vadym Denysenko, on Sunday, according to the portal “strana.news”.
“But we know where they are going, where they are going, and we are prepared.” According to Ukrainian sources, there was fierce fighting for an airfield in Wassylkiv.
So far, Russian troops have attacked Kiev primarily from the north-west and north-east. According to information from Ukraine, the Ukrainian army repelled heavy attacks in Hostomel and Irpin. According to Ukrainian sources, several Russian tanks were destroyed in Pryluky, east of Kiev. According to the governor, the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv is once again completely in Ukrainian hands.
According to Mayor Vitali Klitschko, the situation remains tense. «Kiev is not completely surrounded. The Ukrainian army is fighting hard in the outskirts, and the Russian army has suffered many casualties,” he told Bild on Sunday evening. In the Telegram news channel, he referred to false information that Russian troops had surrounded the city of millions. In the evening, an air alarm was triggered again in Kiev.
There is a night curfew in the city. During this time, for example, driving your own car is only possible with a special permit. There was an exchange of gunfire in some places in the city, Klitschko wrote.
Pictures of destroyed tanks
In the small town of Bucha, footage showed many destroyed tanks. There is also verified video of military vehicles firing at houses, causing damage. The place is about 25 kilometers north-west of the center of Kiev.
The Russian army accused the Ukrainians of using banned phosphorus bombs in the fighting near Kiev. Ukraine, for its part, claims that Russia is also targeting civilian buildings.
In the meantime, the Russian attack in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv has been repelled, according to the Ukrainian army. According to the local area administration, Russian and Ukrainian troops had previously fought in street battles.
The attackers had previously broken through with light technology and also reached the center of the city with around 1.5 million inhabitants, said the head of the regional administration, Oleh Synyehubov, on Facebook. Ukrainian forces would defeat the opponents. Civilians should remain in houses and shelters. Videos on social networks showed several military vehicles.
The Ukrainian armed forces continue to pull together to defend the capital, Kiev. The main thing is to defend against the Russian attack in the north and north-west of the capital, wrote Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maljar on Facebook. Mobilization is ongoing across the country. The air force intercepted Russian fighter jets and transport aircraft over Kiev, and the navy thwarted a Russian landing in the south.
Russia admits its own victims for the first time
For the first time, Russia acknowledged its own casualties in the war against Ukraine. “Russian soldiers are showing bravery and heroism in carrying out the special operation,” Moscow Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said, according to Tass Agency on Sunday. “Unfortunately, there are dead and injured among our comrades.”
Konashenkov did not give any figures. However, he emphasized that the losses were many times lower than the number of “extinct nationalists”. Russia calls Ukraine’s armed forces neo-Nazis. Ukraine said about 4,300 Russian soldiers have been killed so far. This information cannot be independently verified.
Konashenkov again threatened the Ukrainian leadership. The “leaders of the Kiev regime and their executors” are known. “You will all be found and will inevitably bear heavy responsibilities,” announced Konashenkov. He accused Ukraine of violating the Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
Ukrainian representatives had asked for photos and videos of killed and captured Russian soldiers to be shown on the Internet. This should prove the high Russian losses. Russia does not speak of a war in the attack on Ukraine, but of a “special military operation”.