Five days into its war in Ukraine, militarily superior Russia has yet to win complete dominance of the skies. The longer term outlook still seems to favor Russian forces, but their problems thus far have helped the Ukrainians avert a rout.
, although at this stage the conflict’s overall trajectory still seems to favor the larger, better equipped invading force. The invasion is less than a week old, and Russia still hasn’t committed to the battle the full force it had assembled on the border. A senior U.S. official said Monday that about one-quarter of the force hasn’t crossed into Ukraine.
When he announced his decision to attack on Feb. 24, Putin gave no timetable for completing what he called not a war but a “special military operation.” By U.S. estimates he had assembled more than 150,000 troops on Ukraine’s borders.“We think that they’re a few days behind where they expected to be” at this stage, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Monday, five days into a war that is the largest in Europe since World War II.
In Breedlove’s view, the weaponry provided to Ukraine by the United States and many other countries in recent weeks, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, has given Kyiv an important boost. He recalled that when Western countries in 2014 began providing radars used to detect and pinpoint the origin of artillery and mortar attacks, some questioned whether the Ukrainians could make good use of them.
More broadly, beyond failing to destroy or ground the Ukrainian air force, the Russians as of Monday had not managed to capture any major Ukrainian city and were advancing far more slowly than planned, Pentagon officials have said in recent days.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Russia-Ukraine live updates: Ukraine, Russia at Belarus border for talksLATEST: As Ukrainian and Russian delegations meet for talks, an immediate ceasefire and a “neutral status” are the key items to be discussed, officials say.
Read more »
Russia-Ukraine live updates: Putin puts nuclear forces on high alert; Ukraine announces talks with RussiaUkrainians held Kyiv and Kharkiv as Putin's invasion intensified, and President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of attacking civilians.
Read more »
Russia-Ukraine live updates: Ukraine rejects Russian offer for talks in BelarusFighting intensifies in Kharkiv, with Russia claiming Ukrainian surrenders
Read more »
US to send missiles to Ukraine; Ukraine agrees to meet with Russia on Monday - live updatesRussian troops have reached Kharkiv, Ukraine. The EU says it will finance military equipment to help Ukraine, and the U.S. approved sending missiles.
Read more »
US to send missiles to Ukraine; Ukraine agrees to meet with Russia on Monday - live updatesRussian troops have reached Kharkiv, Ukraine. The EU says it will finance military equipment to help Ukraine, and the U.S. approved sending missiles.
Read more »
Russia-Ukraine War: What to know as Ukraine resists advanceUkrainian troops have slowed Russia’s advance on key cities, at least for now, while a Ukrainian delegation arrived at the border with Belarus for talks with Russian officials, though prospects looked uncertain at best.
Read more »