Nearly 100% of committed Russian combat power in Ukraine: US defense official
A senior U.S. defense official said on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has committed nearly "100% of his combat power" into Ukraine.
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"We now assess that Mr. Putin has committed nearly 100% of his combat power into Ukraine. And by combat power, I mean that combat power that he had amassed along the border with Ukraine and in Belarus," the defense official said.
The official also said reports that Russia is attempting to recruit Syrians to sign up and fight in Ukraine appear to be accurate.
"We find that noteworthy that he (Putin) believes that he needs to rely on foreign fighters to supplement what is a very significant commitment of combat power inside Ukraine as it is," the official said.
The official said Russia has launched more than 625 missiles against Ukraine since the invasion began on Feb. 4. He said Russia has increased its use of "long-range fires" to compensate for a lack of movement in its forces on the ground.
"So, we certainly have noticed increases in what we call long-range fires -- bombardment, rocket attacks, artillery, as well as missile strikes," the official said.
-ABC News' Matthew Seyler