A Finnish expert believes that Russian troops are preparing for an attack around Kiev, but not quite yet.
A large column of the Russian army north of Kiev has left the roads, according to satellite images published by Maxar.
Thousands of vehicles from the column were still in the queue on the road for 60 kilometers from the beginning of the week, which surprised the military experts as they formed an easy target for the Ukrainian troops.
The video in the main picture of this news shows the road on which the vehicles stood for several days. There are traces of tracks left in the snow as the wagons have turned and set off.
Armored vehicles have now been grouped, among other things, near Antonov Airport in Hostomel, located northwest of Kiev. Vehicles have been moved to protect the terrain.
The artillery has been detached from the towing vehicles and directed towards Kiev. This suggests, according to a British Ministry of Defense intelligence report, that Russia is preparing for a major attack in the coming days.
According to a US military expert interviewed by the news agency AP, Russian troops have advanced five kilometers in the direction of Kiev in the last day. Russia’s nearest units are only 15 kilometers from the center of Kiev.
Expert: Refers to the intensification of the blockade of Kiev
Research Officer at the National Defense College Antti Pihlajamaa thinks that Russia is preparing to intensify the blockade of Kiev by regrouping the column. The vehicles have been grouped into smaller compartments and can now be used to move troops to attack stations, for example.
In Finland, too, one had wondered about keeping a column on the road for a long time.
– This was not in line with any martial arts. The vehicle line was basically an easy goal, although Ukraine had a very limited ability to influence it, Pihlajamaa wondered.
It is difficult to say why the Russian army kept the column unprotected for days. Maybe it took longer than expected to dismantle the column due to logistics problems, Pihlajamaa thinks.
Now the troops are regrouping. The heavy artillery of the top units is likely to be approaching Kiev so that it can soon shoot into the city area if desired.
However, Pihlajamaa points out that Kiev is a huge city to be besieged. It is questionable whether Russia, with its current forces, will be able to do that.
For the time being, the actual invasion of Kiev or the final implementation of its blockade of Pihlajamaa is not expected. To the east of the city, Russian troops are even further away and the Ukrainians are reportedly able to carry out ambush attacks against them.
Sooner or later, however, an attack is coming. Pihlajamaa still estimates that even if Russia gets Kiev besieged or captured, this will not be enough to discourage Ukrainians from defending themselves in the short term.
The situation would be aggravated if, for example, Russia were to besiege Ukrainian troops in the east of the country. However, it is not in sight so far, Pihlajamaa says.
Russia hit airports
The Russian armed forces also carried out airstrikes in the morning, which could clearly weaken Ukraine’s air defense and air force’s ability to operate.
Russia announced the destruction of Lutsk and Ivano-Frankivsk military airports. Missile strikes were made on the fields early in the morning. Data on the devastation are still incomplete.
Mayor of Lutsk Ihor Polishchuk is shocked by the shock, he says CNN news channel (switch to another service). On Facebook, he says three missiles hit the military airport. One person died in the explosions.
The city’s alarm system didn’t work at all, he’s in pain. In Ivano-Frankivsk, too, no warning was received of approaching missiles.
– The army didn’t start it [hälytysjärjestelmää]. Why not? Because the missiles were flying at ultra-slow speeds or for some other reason. The military is investigating, he writes.