MARCH 17, 2022 – Russian advances continue to be stalled near Kyiv, the Ukraine capital, and those forces have not made any significant advances toward the city, said a senior defense department official who briefed the media today.
Russian forces to the east of Kyiv are about 30 kilometers away from the city center, the official said, which is not an appreciable advance over the last several days.
Residential areas of Kyiv are being struck with increasing frequency, the official said.
The Ukrainians are still in control of Brovary, a town to the east of Kyiv, the official said.
Mariupol, in southeast Ukraine, remains isolated as Russians pound the city with deadly long-range fires, the official said, adding that the city is still being effectively defended.
No forays by the Russians have yet been made on the major Black Sea port of Odesa in the south, the official said. However, there has been some shelling in nearby towns.
“Chernihiv remains isolated, but we still assess that Ukrainians are working to keep a line of communication open. Mariupol is likewise isolated and still suffering heavy bombardment. Russian forces are still on the outskirts of Kharkiv, where, as before, they face stiff Ukrainian resistance,” the official said.
Also, there is no apparent movement toward Mykolaiv, the official said.
The Russians have now fired more than 900 missiles. There are no new strikes into western Ukraine to report, the official said.
Also, the Russian convoy in the north which was headed toward Kyiv many days ago is still stuck and not moving, the official said.
The U.S. has been feverishly supplying arms to Ukraine, the official said, noting that 14 allied nations are also supplying defensive weapons of the type that Ukraine forces need the most.
BY DAVID VERGUN, DOD NEWS