Russia’s convoy to Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, remains stagnant, spokesman John Kirby said in a statement on Monday.
The convoy, which stretched 40 miles from near Privisk in the north to the southern end near Antonov Airport, was steadily moving south at the beginning of the war. But last week, progress seemed almost unstoppable.
“It’s a very, very long convoy. I don’t even know if it’s all, I can’t even say it’s all one convoy, not multiple. But because it’s stuck , Remains as our best rating, “Kirby said at a press conference.
The Pentagon believes that the purpose of the convoy to Kyiv is to “replenish,” Kirby said, noting that the Pentagon does not have “perfect visibility” on the convoy.
“If you look at the images from the air, you can see a lot, but it looks like a supply truck, so it doesn’t look like an armored car. It doesn’t mean that there are no fighting vehicles there,” he said. rice field.
“There is no full visibility, but the assessment is that it was primarily intended to help replenishment, and it’s still stuck. It’s still stuck,” Kirby said. I told reporters.
A Pentagon spokesman said earlier that Russians seem to be reorganizing and reassessing the reasons for their slow progress and “how to make up for lost time.” He said they were unlikely to have expected such problems or the degree of Ukrainian resistance.
Kirby told reporters on Monday that morale remains a problem for many of the Russian army, 12 days after Russia’s President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in its entirety, especially in the northern and eastern parts of Ukraine.
He added that almost all of Russia’s combat power is now in Ukraine.
“They continue to be frustrated, so they are now more dependent on what we call long-range fires,” Kirby said.
Long-range fires cause more damage to infrastructure and more injuries due to lack of accuracy.
“I think again, I think it’s because they couldn’t make up for the lost time they’ve been suffering on earth,” Kirby said.
Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, has been the victim of many of these long-range fires, he said.
The Pentagon also said there was no reason to downplay the Wall Street Journal report that Russia is looking for foreign fighters to support the invasion of Ukraine.
“We are not in a position to challenge the explanation that they may be recruiting Syrian fighters,” he said.
“Why he [Putin] The Pentagon says it believes the Russian army has morale problems, supply problems, fuel problems, and food problems, and will think it needs help from foreign fighters. ” Added.
“They are facing very solid and decisive Ukrainian resistance, and now that they are a few days behind what they thought they would probably be with respect to their progress. But I insist, “Kirby said.
“But I can’t get into Mr Putin’s mind as to why he thinks he needs to seek help from a foreign fighter.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Isabel van Brugen is an award-winning journalist and currently a news reporter for The Epoch Times. She holds a Master’s degree in Newspaper Journalism from City University of London.