In what could signal an important narrowing of Moscow’s military objectives, the U.S. said Russian forces appear to have halted, at least for now, their ground offensive aimed at capturing the capital, Kyiv, and are concentrating more on the fighting for control of the Donbas region in the country’s southeast – a shift the Kremlin seemed to confirm.
Highlights
- NEW: U.S.
- official: Russian forces appear to have halted ground offensive aimed at capturing the capital, Kyiv.
- NEW: Putin’s efforts to break Ukraine’s will to resist are having the opposite effect, NATO official says.
- Russia’s deputy general staff chief says the main objective of the first stage of the operation has “generally been accomplished” NEW: Kremlin denies it has lost full control of southern city of Odesa, says 1,351 soldiers have died and 3,825 have been wounded in fighting.
- Ukraine’s president again appeals to Russia to negotiate an end to the war, but says Ukraine will not give up any of its territory.