The largest Russian military convoy approached, at dawn on Friday, the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.
And US satellite images showed that a large Russian military convoy began to regroup northwest of Kyiv near Antonov Airport. The photos revealed that the Russian convoy was carrying out a redeployment.
The photos showed that the Russian armored units were also maneuvering in the vicinity of the cities adjacent to Antonov Airport.
Western reports conflicted regarding the distance separating the Russian military convoy from Kyiv from 5 km to 40 km.
In this context, a US official told NBC that US intelligence estimates indicate that Russian forces can encircle the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, within a week or two.
The official said that the intelligence estimate of Russian control of Kyiv ranges from four to six weeks in total. And Thursday passed two weeks since the start of the Russian attack on Ukraine.
The official explained that the Russian forces still enjoy a “great advantage” in terms of power, but they are not using it “effectively and do not work in a coordinated manner like any large army.”
This comes as the US State Department confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s plans for a quick control of Ukraine have failed.
Meanwhile, senior US intelligence officials admitted that they underestimated Ukraine’s ability to defend itself once morest Russia.
CIA Director William Burns said Thursday that although Russian President Vladimir Putin has tightened his grip on what the media says inside his country, he cannot hide the truth of what is happening in Ukraine forever, according to the American Fox News.
William Burns (archive from AFP)
“Putin has intensified his dominance of the state-run media and stifled independent media, especially in recent years,” Burns added. attack on ukraineBut I don’t think he will be able to completely insulate the Russians from the truth.”
He continued, “There are a lot of Russians who have uncensored internet accounts, can access YouTube and get information. I don’t think Putin can indefinitely insulate the Russians from the truth, especially since the facts are starting to penetrate that bubble.”
He concluded: “The Russian people will know the fact that the dead and wounded are returning home in increasing numbers, and the economic consequences for ordinary Russians, and they will be exposed to the horrific scenes of the bombing of hospitals and neighboring schools in Ukraine and civilian casualties.”
