The Pentagon has been providing daily updates on the US assessment of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Ukraine resistance efforts.
Here are the highlights of what a senior US defense official told reporters on Wednesday the 42nd:
All Russian troops withdrew from the outskirts of kyiv and Chernihiv.
The tens of thousands of Russian troops deployed against kyiv and Chernihiv have withdrawn north across the borders of Belarus and Russia to consolidate before likely redeploying to eastern Ukraine, according to the senior defense official.
“We are assessing that they have completely withdrawn from kyiv and from Chernihiv,” the official said.
But even with Russian forces, the territory remains treacherous.
“There are some indications that they left mines and things like that, so the Ukrainians are being somewhat careful in some areas north of kyiv as they start to clear the ground and clear the territory and reoccupy it,” the official said.
On Monday, the Pentagon estimated that about a third of the Russian forces apparently originally designated to take the capital remained.
Before the withdrawal, there were about 20 Russian battalion tactical groups (BTGs) consisting of 800 to 1,000 soldiers each in the north and northwest areas of kyiv, and another 20 BTGs near Chernihiv, according to the official.
While the US has yet to see these troops redeployed to other parts of Ukraine, it is likely to happen soon, according to the official.
“Our assessment is that they will not want to spend too much time refitting and resupplying because they have made a very public show of saying they are going to prioritize their efforts in the Donbas region,” the official said.
But the timing will depend on how much work is needed to bring Russian forces back to fighting condition.
“Some of these units have been depleted much more than others, and it’s possible that the Russians could combine units to make new BTGs as a result, we just don’t know,” the official said.
Of the roughly 130 BTGs Russia dedicated to the invasion, some 80 are still inside Ukraine, according to the official. More than 30 are already in the Donbas region.
US sends ‘urgent’ shipment of anti-tank missiles for fight in Donbass
Ukrainian forces are preparing for a big fight in the east as Russia prepares up to 40 BTGs to join 30 more battalions already in Donbas.
“They are not waiting,” the official said. “They are already adjusting to the increased Russian activity in the Donbas region and are doing the best they can.”
On Tuesday, the Biden administration authorized a $100 million withdrawal package to “meet Ukraine’s urgent need for additional Javelin anti-armour systems,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement.
The top US defense official said this move was specifically to help in Donbas.
“One of the reasons you saw us describe this $100 million withdrawal package last night as in dire need of javelins was actually because of the activity in the Donbas and the Ukrainians who wanted to make sure they were ready for a increased Russian activity there. ”, said the official.
Ukrainians receive drone training in the US
A small number of Ukrainians currently in the US for “professional military education” have been set aside for a couple of days of training on Switchblade drones, which the US is sending abroad as part of its military aid, according to the official.
“Although it is not a very difficult system to operate, we take advantage of the fact that they are in the country to give them rudimentary training on it,” said the official. “And there may be some additional rudimentary training while they’re here.”
The official said that fewer than 12 Ukrainians received this training in the United States.
Pentagon blames Russia for nitric acid explosion
The official said the Pentagon is “monitoring” an apparent nitric acid explosion in the Lugansk region, which Russia blamed on Ukraine.
“We have seen the Russians claim that this was a Ukrainian attack. We don’t believe that to be true,” the official said. “We think the Russians are responsible, but exactly what they used when they did it, why they did it, what the damage is, we just don’t have that level of detail,” the official said.
“Premeditated” Russian atrocities in Bucha
“When you see individuals with their hands tied behind their backs and evidence that they have been shot in the head, that certainly appears to be premeditated,” said the official, who again called for investigations into Russian war crimes in Ukraine.
Long range attacks moving east
Russia has already launched more than 1,450 missiles against Ukraine, according to the official. The Pentagon is seeing more airstrikes directed east than kyiv as Russia shifts its overall focus to the Donbas region.
Reference-abcnews.go.com