Russia is poised to deploy as much as 1,000 extra mercenaries to Ukraine within the coming days and weeks, as a senior Western intelligence official warned Moscow might “bombard cities into submission,” an escalation that might result in vital civilian casualties.
The US has already seen “some indications” that Russian mercenaries could also be concerned in Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine “in some locations,” a senior protection official mentioned earlier this week, nevertheless it wasn’t clear precisely the place or in what numbers.
“We have seen some indications that they are being employed,” the official mentioned.
Now, a US official tells CNN that Russia is planning to deploy as much as 1,000 extra mercenaries within the close to future.
Stalled forces: Some Russian forces have struggled with morale points and setbacks on the battlefield, together with a large convoy north of Kyiv that has remained largely stalled for the previous a number of days.
The mercenary forces would fortify the flagging items, the official mentioned, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its second weekend.
The official added that the US believes the mercenaries already in Ukraine have “carried out poorly when dealing with the stiffer-than-expected resistance from the Ukrainians,” and that as many as 200 such mercenaries have already been killed within the battle as of late February.
In the meantime, US and Western officers anticipate Russia to extend the tempo and power of its strikes on key Ukrainian inhabitants facilities, together with the capital Kyiv.
An intensifying assault: Russia now appears ready to “bombard cities into submission,” one senior western intelligence official mentioned on Friday, which might embody a big improve within the variety of civilian casualties.
“It’s a really crude strategy,” the official mentioned. “The heavier weapons will not be simply heavier within the weight, they’re additionally heavier when it comes to the injury that they will inflict. And so they’re far much less discriminant.”
Different officers have observed a shift in Russian technique from navy targets to civilians, with extra assaults changing into targeted on inhabitants facilities.
“The times to come back are prone to be worse, with extra demise, extra struggling, and extra destruction, because the Russian armed forces herald heavier weaponry and proceed their assaults throughout the nation,” NATO Secretary Basic Jens Stoltenberg mentioned on Friday.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed the sentiment throughout a press convention in Brussels Friday the place he’s assembly with European allies.
“The Kremlin’s assaults are inflicting an ever-increasing toll on civilians there. Lots of if not 1000’s of Ukrainians have been killed, many extra wounded, as have residents of different nations. Greater than 1,000,000 refugees have fled Ukraine to neighboring nations. Hundreds of thousands of individuals throughout Ukraine are trapped in more and more dire circumstances as Russia destroys extra important infrastructure,” Blinken mentioned.
