[The Epoch Times, March 6, 2022](The Epoch Times reporter Zhang Ting comprehensive report) For the past ten days, the Russian army has tried every day to penetrate the suburbs of Kyiv and enter the Ukrainian capital, but has been repeatedly frustrated. The concern is that the more than 40-mile-long convoy of Russian troops is still stalled near Kyiv. The Wall Street Journal said Ukraine deployed elite special forces to guard Kyiv. The unit has been trained by U.S. troops and allies.
Russia launched its attack on Ukraine on February 24. On February 25, CNN, citing people familiar with the matter, said an initial U.S. assessment before the Russian invasion expected the Ukrainian capital to be occupied within one to four days of the Russian attack. On the evening of February 24, senior U.S. administration officials told U.S. lawmakers on Capitol Hill that Russian troops had reached 20 miles from Kyiv.
At that time, many people worried that Kyiv might soon fall. But by Saturday, the tenth day of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Kyiv was still under Ukrainian control. “Ukraine is fighting in a way that no one expected,” said Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Ukrainian president.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Volodymyr, a Ukrainian special forces leader defending Kyiv, said of his anti-Russian experience in the past few days, “We went out to hunt and destroy them.” His team held British . 308 caliber sniper rifles and British-made anti-tank weapons await the latest Russian attack.
“They certainly didn’t come here expecting that we knew how to fight,” Volodymyr said.
Since the first day of the war (February 24), when a Russian army entered Ukraine from Belarus, the front here has remained largely firm. In some places, including the neighboring town of Bha, the Russians were pushed back.
Why did the Ukrainian army hold on to Kyiv?
That’s partly because Ukraine has deployed elite special forces to defend Kyiv, which have been trained by the United States and allies over the past few years. They are equipped with the UK’s next-generation anti-tank missile system NLAW, American-made Javelin anti-tank weapons and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles. These devices all help to undermine the Russian military’s advantages in aviation and long-range missiles and artillery.
“Hua Ri” quoted Ukrainian officers as saying that there was another reason to help the Ukrainian army hold on to Kyiv, that is, the Russian army seemed to adhere to the Soviet-style large-scale maneuvering tactics, moving in long convoys, and was vulnerable to small Ukrainian reconnaissance forces and Turkish troops. The manufactured Bayraktar TB2 armed drone fleet strikes.
“We are appalled by their stupidity,” said another member of Ukraine’s special forces. He is on a nightly mission in the area. He said on Friday (March 4) that his troops had lost two soldiers and killed more than 60 Russians since the war began nine days ago.
“Right now, we’re mainly focused on hitting their rear, their supply fleet, because if they don’t get fuel, there’s nothing they can do.”
Morale of Ukrainian defenders in the Irpin region, 22 kilometers from the capital Kyiv, was high on Friday, even as a Russian attack plane flew low over a residential area and the sound of artillery shells getting closer, Huari reported. . Huge plumes of black smoke rose from the north and south of the town, along other main routes that Russian forces have been trying to break into Kyiv for more than a week.
The soldiers here said that in order to prepare for the approach of enemy helicopters or attack aircraft, some soldiers carried portable anti-aircraft missiles on their shoulders. Troops here say they use their own small drones, including some with thermal cameras, to search for Russian targets.
“The Russians have been trying to get in and surround us, but they just can’t. We are together, we are organized, we are strong-willed,” said soldier Alyona Pavlova.
More than 40-mile convoy of Russian troops stagnated
Near the capital Kyiv, a Russian convoy spanning more than 40 miles had been unable to move forward for several days.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said at a briefing on Friday (March 4) that the Ukrainian fight had “stopped” a large Russian military convoy heading towards Kyiv.
“We do have reports of a bridge being blown up, which we believe is on the road. There are also indications that Ukrainians attacked the convoy elsewhere and in vehicles,” Kirby said.
He added: “We do believe that the actions of the Ukrainians brought the (Russian) convoy to a standstill, and of course slowed down the (advance) speed, stopped in some places.”
The U.S. also believes that the Russian military’s own sustainability, logistical and fuel challenges have slowed the convoy, Kirby said.
Responsible editor: Lin Yan#