Vladimir Putin could become 'more aggressive' in Ukraine following setbacks: former defense official

Vladimir Putin could become 'more aggressive' in Ukraine following setbacks: former defense official
Russian President Vladimir Putin in April 2020, Wikimedia Commons
Putin plans for his party to win Russia's next election — no matter how unpopular it is
Bank

According to a senior U.S. defense official speaking to Fox News, Russian President Vladimir Putin has deployed 75% of his assembled combat power into Ukraine, but the Russian military's advance to Kyiv has seen little progress in the last day.

Russia has also failed to establish air superiority throughout the country -- all developments that could push Putin to act more aggressive in his campaign, the official said.

"Certainly they have been slowed and they have been frustrated by their lack of progress on Kyiv," the official told Fox News, adding that this could result in a "reevaluation of their tactics and the potential for them to be more aggressive of their targeting of Kyiv."

The official also said that "the Ukrainians are putting up continued and sustained and stiff resistance in and around Kyiv" without any signs of relenting, and have been "very creative" with their tactics.

"They’re using pretty much everything that they have in their arsenal from small arms all the way up to surface-to-air missiles," the official said.

The official also said there's currently no indication that Russia will be deploying reinforcements just yet, adding that there still hasn't been any specific actions from Putin raised his deterrent forces status to "special combat readiness."

Understand the importance of honest news ?

So do we.

The past year has been the most arduous of our lives. The Covid-19 pandemic continues to be catastrophic not only to our health - mental and physical - but also to the stability of millions of people. For all of us independent news organizations, it’s no exception.

We’ve covered everything thrown at us this past year and will continue to do so with your support. We’ve always understood the importance of calling out corruption, regardless of political affiliation.

We need your support in this difficult time. Every reader contribution, no matter the amount, makes a difference in allowing our newsroom to bring you the stories that matter, at a time when being informed is more important than ever. Invest with us.

Make a one-time contribution to Alternet All Access, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you.

Click to donate by check.

DonateDonate by credit card
Donate by Paypal
{{ post.roar_specific_data.api_data.analytics }}
@2022 - AlterNet Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. - "Poynter" fonts provided by fontsempire.com.