all eyes on ukraine
Ukrainian military believes Russian forces are gathering resources to 'storm Kyiv'
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a Sunday night report that Russian troops have started to "accumulate resources to storm Kyiv."
There are Russian forces near the city of Irpin, on the western outskirts of Kyiv, as well as the eastern districts of Brovary and Boryspil, the Ukrainian military said.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a nonpartisan public policy research organization, issued its own report late Sunday stating that Russian forces are focused on four areas, with Kyiv the main priority, followed by Kharkiv, Mariupol, and Kherson. Over the last 24 hours, Russian troops have regrouped and started preparing for new offensive operations in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Mykolayiv, the ISW said. The Ukrainian General Staff believes that in Kharkiv, Russian forces stationed to the west of the city will likely launch an offensive southeast toward the Dnipro River.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has "not demonstrated any willingness to de-escalate with Ukraine or the international community," the ISW said, and it's believed the Kremlin is "likely laying the domestic information groundwork for a declaration of martial law in Russia" should Putin decide that "mass mobilization and conscription are necessary to achieve his objectives."