With “absolute air superiority”, the Russian army was approaching Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, on Thursday with the intention of “decapitating the government” to place a pro-Russian one, according to Western military sources.
Having fired more than 160 missiles at Ukrainian military targets, Russian forces moved rapidly south from Belarus and “came closer to Kiev” throughout the day, a senior Pentagon official said.
“Basically they intend to decapitate the government and install their own form of government, which would explain this initial advance towards Kiev,” he estimated.
According to a senior Western intelligence official, “Ukraine’s air defenses have been eliminated and they have no air force left to protect themselves.”
“In the next few hours the Russians will try to concentrate an overwhelming force around the capital and the defense now falls to the ground forces and the popular resistance,” he explained.
Three US officials told Newsweek who believe that Ukraine’s capital, Kiev, will fall to incoming Russian forces within days, and that the country’s resistance will be effectively neutralized soon after.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Moscow’s approach, as revealed by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s references to a “special military operation” to “demilitarize” the neighboring country, would be to encircle Russian forces. Ukrainian forces and force them to surrender or threaten it with destruction.
“Little time”
Russian troops will be around Kiev “in a matter of days, or tomorrow morning, at the rate at which they are advancing,” he stressed. “There isn’t much time left. I think a lot will depend on the resistance of the Ukrainians.”
For now Russia has advanced into Ukrainian territory along three axes: south from Crimea to the city of Kherson, across the Dnieper River, north from Belarus to Kiev, along two highways northeast and northwest of the Ukrainian capital, and east from the Russian city of Belgorod to the great industrial city of Kharkov, according to Pentagon estimates.
Initially, the US official reported 75 bomber sorties and 100 missile launches of various types, including sea-to-land missiles fired from the Black Sea, but later specified that the number of missiles fired since the start of the Russian offensive had risen to “more than 160”.
“Most of them are short-range ballistic missiles, but there are also medium-range missiles and cruise missiles,” he specified.
“They also dropped more paratroopers on Kharkov and we estimate that there is still heavy fighting” in this area of eastern Ukraine.
The attacks have focused on military targets, including air bases and the Ukrainian army command, but according to the Pentagon the objective is to take control of key cities, especially the capital, Kiev.
Russian forces attacked the Antonov military airport in Gostomel, on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital, where fighting appeared to continue late in the day.
This airport could become a rendezvous point for the Russian army if it wanted to surround the capital.
“If Moscow manages to get it under control and maintain air superiority (which is very possible), they could use the airport as an entry point to attack Kiev,” tweeted Michael Horowitz, a security expert at Consultant Le Beck International.
The senior official of The Pentagon emphasized that this offensive is unprecedented in more than 70 years..
“We have never seen a move like this, from nation state to nation state, since World War II, certainly nothing of this magnitude, scope and scale,” he said.
So far the Russians have not entered western Ukraine and there is no indication of an amphibious assault in the south from the Black Sea, the source said.
There are no estimates of damage or casualties in the Ukrainian military. “There are signs that they are resisting and fighting back,” the official said.
The country’s communications appear to be working, he said. He believes that in a second phase there will be a cyber attack to paralyze them. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
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