Ukraine: The Russians are preparing to attack Kiev.
The Ukrainian military has claimed that a Russian fighter jet was shot down, claiming that separatist forces in Donetsk and Luhansk were planning to lay siege to Kiev.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Army announced today (Friday) that Russia is preparing for another attack on the Ukrainian capital.
“Russian forces are preparing to resume their attack on the Barwari and Prussia axes east of Kiev,” the statement said.
According to Sputnik, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said: “The separatists have to some extent managed to preserve the territories they occupied in Donetsk and Luhansk.”
“The enemy’s attempts to control the east of the country were unsuccessful, but the separatists are trying to lay siege to the capital,” the statement continued. “Our forces continue to conduct defensive operations in Donetsk, Slobozansky and parts of Tovarya.”
“Yesterday, our forces shot down a Russian fighter jet, a UAV and four cruise missiles,” the Ukrainian military said in a statement. “Our forces still control the city of Chernihiv and prevent Russian forces from advancing on Kiev.”
Earlier, the US Deputy Secretary of Defense for Political Affairs claimed that Putin did not intend to engage in a full-scale conflict with NATO, claiming that Russia was running out of point weapons and guided munitions in Ukraine.
On February 24, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine in response to a request for assistance from the Donetsk and Luhansk republics (separatists in eastern Ukraine). Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that “demilitarization and de-Naziization” were key objectives of the operation. Moscow has repeatedly stated that it has no plans to occupy Ukraine, and that the Russian armed forces are only targeting Ukraine’s military infrastructure. The United States and its allies, including Japan, have responded to Moscow’s move by imposing comprehensive sanctions on Russia.
