Russian forces 95% intact on Day 13 of invasion: US official
Despite losing troops, ground vehicles and aircraft in the fighting, Russia’s invading forces remain roughly 95% intact, a senior U.S. defense official said at a press briefing Tuesday.
Ukrainian resistance efforts are continuing to slow down Russian forces, particularly in the north, where they have not moved any closer to Kyiv’s city center since yesterday, the official said. Fighting and resistance against the Russian advance on Chernihiv and Kharkiv have been reported as well, the official said.
Russian air and missile attacks are increasing as the ground effort has been frustrated, and bombardment of the capital continues, he added. Much of the airspace of Ukraine, in the north and south, is under some umbrella of “Russian surface-to-air missile capability,” the official said.
"We still have every reason to assess that their effort is to encircle and force the surrender of Kyiv,” the official said.
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In the south, Russians advancing to the northwest out of Crimea are about 25 miles out of Mykolayiv, the official said. Russian forces have isolated the city of Mariupol and continue to bombard it, he added.
In addition, Ukraine’s military is struggling to overcome shortages of fuel and food, he said.
The deconfliction line set up last Tuesday about has been used by the U.S. and Russia about a dozen times now, but so far only for test calls to make sure "somebody's picking up on the other end."
-ABC News' Mattew Seyler