Moscow called on “all units” to move into Ukraine in the coming days, as NATO begins a rapid resupply effort to deliver weapons.
Russia has now pushed more than half of the 150,000-plus troops it had arrayed around Ukraine into the country, three days after an initial invasion that has met stiff, determined resistance and run into logistics and coordination problems.
The capital city of Kyiv has been breached by small groups of Russian troops, but the main thrust still appears to be on the horizon, as armored columns push from the north, west and south in a bloody dash for the seat of government. A spokesperson for Russia’s Defense Ministry said that as of Saturday morning “all units were given orders today to develop the offensive along all axes in line with the operation plan.”
No major cities have yet fallen to the invading forces, as Ukrainian troops armed with Javelin anti-armor missiles have managed to temporarily blunt the Russian move for Kharkiv in the East, and several lunges toward Kyiv. The fierce resistance and quick-strike guerrilla tactics have spoiled hopes Moscow may have harbored for a quick, relatively bloodless fight.
A U.S. official said Saturday that Russian leaders appear “increasingly frustrated” with how their long-planned invasion has gone so far.
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In response, NATO allies have scrambled to resupply Ukrainian forces. U.K. Defense Minister Ben Wallace held a donor conference Friday aimed at shoring up support, and 27 nations pledged to send more weapons. Germany, long resistant to permitting European nations from sending weapons it made to conflict zones, reversed its fence-sitting position on Saturday, permitting the Netherlands to transfer 400 rocket-propelled grenade launchers to Ukraine.
Separately, the Netherlands also said they would send 200 Stinger ground-to-air missiles to Ukraine, and a U.S. defense official confirmed that American arms have continued to flow throughout the fight.
President Joe Biden unlocked another $350 million in military aid for Ukraine on Friday night, a package that will include more Javelins, the defense official said. Belgium on Saturday also pledged 2,000 machine guns and 3,800 tons of fuel to Ukraine.
Poland, Latvia and Estonia are also pushing more weapons into Ukraine via a bold new land bridge option using Polish border crossings, as the skies above the country are full of missiles and Russian warplanes.
The rapid reequipping effort marks a remarkable new moment in post-Cold War European history, with a majority of the continent openly working to defeat Russian forces in the field and showing no inclination to hide their intent to punish the Kremlin.
“It is remarkable that so many western governments — the US, the UK, the Dutch — are *overtly* shipping anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons to Ukraine right now in the middle of its war with Russia. Not even hiding it. Publicizing it. Loudly,” tweeted Andrew Exum, previously a top Pentagon official in the Obama administration.
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Russia has now pushed more than half of the 150,000-plus troops it had arrayed around Ukraine into the country, three days after an initial invasion that has met stiff, determined resistance and run into logistics and coordination problems.https://t.co/VNuugqUkRq
— POLITICO (@politico) February 26, 2022These are the tactics of a madman bent on destruction and chaos. https://t.co/jj1H5BSO34
— Rob Liguori (@robxlii) February 26, 2022
Germany sends 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 stinger missiles to Ukraine!! https://t.co/URBKE6LjMt
— Anders Östlund (@andersostlund) February 26, 2022
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