Russian invaders 'increasingly frustrated' by sturdy Ukrainian resistance, says US

Sturdy resistance by Ukraine against the "premeditated" attack by Russian troops has "increasingly frustrated" the invaders, a senior Pentagon official remarked while addressing reporters on Saturday. Although Russia has at least 50% of its massive invasion forces inside Ukraine, the strong defence has ensured that they are stopped from advancing into Ukraine's capital Kyiv, he added.

Meanwhile, the US and Western allies are still able to deliver arms into Ukraine to enhance support against on-ground assault as well air attacks making Ukraine resistance "viable".

As the war intensified, Russian troops are making slow progress against its three-front thrust, the official said under conditions of anonymity. "We have indications that the Russians are increasingly frustrated by their lack of momentum over the last 24 hours, particularly in the northern parts of Ukraine," the Pentagon official said. "We will also continue to see indications of viable Ukrainian resistance," he added.

The Pentagon believes at least 150,000 Russian soldiers are involved in the amphibious assault of Ukraine, entering the ex-Soviet nation from North, South, and East as Russian President Vladimir Putin aims to encircle Kyiv. As per Russian Army spokesperson, Igor Konashenkov, on Saturday, Moscow ordered its troops to unleash a more aggressive approach from "all directions in accordance with the operation's plan".

However, the Pentagon official stated that equipped with heavy armour, missiles, and air barrages, Russian soldiers have "not progressed" as fast as they hoped since Thursday (Feb 24) when Putin ordered full-scale military operations on Ukraine.

As of Thursday, Russian forces have been unable to penetrate Kyiv and stationed approximately 20 miles (roughly 30kms) outside the city. Despite several attempts, Russia was also unable to seize several important cities in Ukraine, the Pentagon official said. However, the official noted the volatile situation of the "battlefield" has remained "very dynamic and will change hour by hour".

Logistics and strong defence thwarting Russian 'sabotage groups'

As a bulk of Russian troops remain stationed at a close distance from Kyiv, Ukraine Defence forces on Saturday said that they garrisoned an assault by "sabotage groups" that infiltrated the city. The UK defence ministry also said that the primary objective of Russia remains to annex Kyiv, however, Ukrainian resistance and logistical difficulties are hindering Russian troops' movement. Meanwhile, street fights erupted in Kyiv on Saturday between pro-Russian groups.

West bolsters support to Kyiv

As Russian forces continue to bomb Ukraine, the West has amped up its support to Kyiv. The US on Friday approved $350 million in military aid to Ukraine. In addition, Germany has also announced additional weapons deployment to the Ukrainian military. Meanwhile, the Western nations have posed impactful penalties on targetted Russian entities, including Putin, Sergei Lavrov (Russian foreign minister), Russian Chief of Defence Staff, and other senior officials.

(Image: AP)