Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrates Defender of the Fatherland Day in 2015 in central Moscow, Russia, with military personnel around him.
Sasha Mordovets Getty Images News Getty Images
WASHINGTON – The Biden administration warned on Monday that Russian forces are expected to step up military operations in Ukraine after weeks of halting the offensive.
“When Russia started this war, its original goals were to seize the capital Kyiv, change Zelensky’s government and take control of much, if not all, of Ukraine,” National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told White House reporters. adding that “Russia believes it can achieve these goals quickly and effectively.”
He said US officials believe the Kremlin is now reconsidering its goal in the war. “Russia is repositioning its forces to focus its offensive operations in eastern and parts of southern Ukraine instead of targeting most of the territory,” Sullivan said, citing the military’s failure to take Kyiv.
Over the past five weeks, Russian forces on the ground in Ukraine have been plagued by a number of logistical problems on the battlefield, including reports of fuel and food shortages.
“Everything shows that Russia will seek to encircle and defeat Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine,” Sullivan said. “We anticipate that Russian commanders are now moving from northern Ukraine to the region around Donbass.”
He added that Russia’s renewed ground offensive in eastern Ukraine is likely to “include air and missile strikes in the rest of the country to cause military and economic damage and, frankly, to terrorize”.
FILE PHOTO: Aerial view shows a residential building destroyed by shelling as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, in the village of Borodyanka in the Kiev region, Ukraine, March 3, 2022. Photo taken by drone.
Maxim Levin Reuters
A senior US State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity to share details of the Pentagon’s thinking, said the Kremlin had relocated about 65 percent of its forces near Kyiv to Belarus.
The official said the Pentagon believed that these Russian troops were gaining additional manpower in Belarus before relocating back to the battle in Ukraine. Asked where the troops were likely to go, the Pentagon said he believed most of them would move to the Donbass region.
The official added that the United States believes that the “vast majority” of Russian forces are still in Ukraine and that Kyiv is still under threat.
Later Monday, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby did not provide details on how the United States expects Russian forces to reorganize.
“We do not believe that this is a complete withdrawal from military efforts. “These guys aren’t going home, I guess that’s the main point,” Kirby said, adding that the Pentagon “can’t predict exactly how” they will “reform their units.”
When pressured, Sullivan did not provide a timetable for how long the United States waited for the war to continue.
“It may not just be a matter of a few more weeks,” Sullivan said. “This next phase can be measured in months or longer,” he added.
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