Almost all of Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian cities have paused, and little or no progress has been achieved over the weekend, according to a senior US Defense Department source.
According to the officer, who was not allowed to talk publicly about intelligence assessments, Ukrainian opposition to the Russian assault remains robust, notably near the towns of Kyiv and Cherniv.
The assessment comes on the same day that Dmitry Peskov, the Russian presidential spokesperson, stated the military operation is “proceeding according to the original plan and will be finished on schedule and in full.”
According to the US official, certain cities have been encircled and are increasingly being bombarded by Russian long-range artillery and missile assaults. Since the invasion began, Russia has fired over 900 missiles into Ukrainian locations, with the strikes becoming increasingly indiscriminate, according to the source.
The strike on the Yavoriv military training camp in western Ukraine over the weekend involved dozens of cruise missiles launched from Russian bombers within Russian airspace, according to the official. The bombardment from afar demonstrated that a no-fly zone over Ukraine, as demanded by the devastated country, would not necessarily preclude Russia from attacking by air, according to the official.
The missiles targeted the site with no US personnel, contractors, or Americans present, according to the official. The site had been used to train Ukrainian forces, but the Florida National Guard had evacuated before the Russian invasion. The incident claimed the lives of at least 35 individuals.
Despite its superiority in warplanes, Russia has not controlled Ukrainian airspace, according to the source.
In other parts of Ukraine, some 50 Russian vehicles drove southeast of Kharkiv, presumably to join Russian forces in the south, according to the official. They appear to be trying to cut off Ukrainian forces battling in the country’s east.
According to the official, the long-stalled Russian convoy north of Kyiv is still mostly stopped.