US defence dept says Russia's military operation at Kyiv appears to be stalled

Amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, a senior US defence official claimed on Thursday that the Russian invasion of the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv appears to have stalled while fighting escalates in Kharkiv. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on western powers to stop Russia's attack after the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant caught fire due to Russian shelling on Friday, positing the threat of a nuclear explosion. According to media reports, the Russian armies have also seized control of Kherson, but US officials have not confirmed this development. The US defence department has stated that the Russians are also shelling Kyiv and Kharkiv, targeting more civilians. Russian forces have also gotten closer to Mariupol and are shelling the city.

"Obviously, the Russian military forces are hitting residential areas. There's no doubt about that," the US Defence official said. ''The degree to which that is intentional and internationally precise in that regard is difficult for us to assess. But clearly, it's happening. Russian forces appear to have largely stalled across northern Ukraine. In Kyiv, Russian forces remain north and northwest of the city," he added.

According to officials, the Russian forces are now standing just outside Kharkiv, very near the ring road, a bypass road around the city. The US official stated that Ukrainian command and control nodes continue to function, and Ukraine's air defences remain effective. "They will continue to be able to fly their airplanes and to employ air-defence assets. And as of this morning, we have now counted more than 480 Russian missile launchers, of all sizes and stripes," the officials said. However, there have been no confirmed reports claiming that Russia is using cluster munitions or thermobaric fuel-air bombs against Ukraine. Although the Russian movement may appear to have stalled, Putin still has a lot of combat power, said US defence officials.

Russia-Ukraine war

As Russia's military operations against Ukraine enters its 9th day, reports have emerged that Russian forces occupied the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant on Friday. Ukraine's State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate (SNRIU) stated that a fire broke out at the training building outside the NPP due to heavy shelling by the Russian Army. Meanwhile, Ukrainian tanks in Volnovakha have been captured by Russian troops, and more than 20 Ukrainian citizens have been reported dead in Chernihiv following a Russian-led airstrike in the city.

Image: AP