U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told lawmakers Thursday evening that Russian mechanized forces arriving from Belarus were about 20 miles from Kyiv, while another Russian element deployed from Russia was further away but also headed to Ukraine's capital. U.S. officials said Russia plans to encircle Kyiv, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian "enemy sabotage groups" have already arrived in Kyiv, and "according to our information, the enemy has identified me as the No. 1 target."
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told ABC News Thursday night that he is also "convinced" Russian President Vladimir Putin is intent on toppling Ukraine's government.
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