The Russian military has lost more than 10% of the combat forces that Putin sent to invade Ukraine, a senior Pentagon official said Tuesday.
The Russian combat force has dipped slightly below 90% for the first time in a war that began less than a month ago, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe intelligence assessments. Not all of the more than 150,000 Russian troops in and around Ukraine are combat troops; many provide support functions.
Russian ground forces remain largely stalemate across Ukraine, particularly around the capital of Kyiv, whose closest troops remain about 10 miles from the city’s center.
The Pentagon officials described Ukrainian resistance as quick and nimble, and for the first time in the war seeking to retake ground from the Russians.
At Mariupol, the bombed-out port city in southern Ukraine, Russian Navy ships have been shelling from the sea for the first time, the official said. The bombing appears to be a sign that Russia continues to have problems on the ground against Ukrainian forces. Russian commanders instead are relying on long-range bombardment to overcome the Ukraine Troops cities, a tactic that often results in civilian casualties.
Russia continues to have problems supplying its troops in Ukraine with food, fuel, and weaponry, the official said. Some Russian soldiers have suffered frostbite because they don’t have proper cold-weather gear. There are signs Russia is having trouble keeping ships fueled at sea, the Pentagon official said.
Putin is going to use nuclear weapons he can’t beat a strong country that wants to keep freedom. Putin is not telling the truth. He tells them he wants to keep nuclear weapons out of Ukraine.
China still stands with Russia so Biden’s warning did not work. They are going to stand together. China asked them to resume peace talks with Ukraine, China is a part of the solution, not the problem.
