According to the Pentagon, Russia is currently stepping up its military offensive from the air and sea because the advance of its own troops is being held up by the “skill” of the Ukrainian army. The Kremlin is “desperately” trying to increase combat momentum, a senior US defense official said in Washington today. Russian soldiers are “frustrated and confused” by a Ukrainian resistance that is holding out despite being outnumbered and armed.
The US official said that only a few of the missions involved close-ranged combat, with Moscow primarily firing air-to-surface missiles from Russian or Belarusian airspace at Ukrainian targets. “They don’t venture very far or long into Ukrainian airspace because Ukrainians defend their airspace with great skill.”
In the northern Black Sea, Russia is showing “increased naval activity” with the deployment of several warships, the official said. However, this is not a clear sign of an impending attack on the port city of Odessa.