The massive Russian convoy which has been slowly making its way towards Kiev is now finally positioned for an assault on the capital, according to satellite images that show the dispersal of the column into new positions. Russian multiple launch rocket systems and artillery are now positioned to open fire on Kiev, and the city of nearly three million might become an urban battlefield very soon if the Russians decide to take it by storm.
Russian convoy redeploys
The enormous column of Russian vehicles stretching south from Belarus has inspired a great deal of dread with its mere presence, though it hasn’t contributed much to the fighting yet.
The convoy appeared to be stalled just north of Kiev, prompting speculation about Russian logistics failures and organizational problems.
The column itself was too well protected from the air for remaining Ukrainian air assets to launch an attack, but its pause gave the capital some much needed breathing room.
The mayor claims that about half of the city’s population has already fled from the city, heading for the relative safety of western Ukraine or continuing on to one of the neighboring countries.
The bad news is that hundreds of thousands of women and children remain in the city and might soon find themselves trapped in the middle of some of the bloodiest urban warfare Europe has seen since 1945.
The city is almost surrounded, but there are still routes for civilians to use for evacuations. The besieged city of Mariupol hints at the possible fate of Kiev once those remaining routes are cut off.
Fight for the capital looms
The Russians were expected to move quickly to take the capital, but progress has been unexpectedly slow. This is possibly due to large Russian supply problems which have reportedly slowed advances elsewhere.
There has been fighting near Kiev, beginning with an assault on an airfield by Russian airborne troops on the first day of the invasion.
Conflicting accounts of this battle claim that the Russians held the airport for more than a day against a determined counterattack, or that the Ukrainians scattered the attackers and retook the area temporarily. Either way, it has since remained in Russian hands.
The Ukrainians have found real success in ambushing isolated Russians and harassing supply lines; the Russian pause was likely meant to address these attacks by consolidating and securing territory already taken.
The initial Russian assault was extremely quick, so much so that some vehicles ran out of fuel. Subsequent movements have been much more cautious and have focused on completing existing sieges.
The convoy now dispersed north of Kiev should have more than enough firepower to take the city, but the fighting is guaranteed to be nightmarish for everyone involved.
