Russia is poised to deploy 1,000 more mercenaries to Ukraine in the coming days and weeks, as a senior Western intelligence official warned Moscow could “bombard the cities it submits”, an escalation. could result in significant civilian casualties.
The US has seen “some indications” that Russian mercenaries may be involved Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine “in several places,” a senior defense official said earlier this week, but it was unclear exactly where or in how much.
“We’ve seen some indications that they’re being recruited,” the official said.
Now, a US official tells CNN that Russia is planning to deploy 1,000 more mercenaries in the near future.
Stagnation Force: Several Russian forces have struggled with morale problems and defeats on the battlefield, including a massive convoy north of Kyiv that has remained largely stalled for days.
The mercenary forces will reinforce flagging units, the official said, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its second weekend.
The official added that the US believes that mercenaries in Ukraine have “performed poorly in the face of stiffer-than-expected resistance from the Ukrainians” and that up to 200 such mercenaries have been killed in the war. war until the end of February.
Meanwhile, American and Western officials expect Russia to increase the speed and strength of its attacks on key population centers of Ukraine, including the capital, Kyiv.
A growing attack: A senior Western intelligence official said Friday that it appears to be prepared to “bombard cities subject to submission,” which could include a significant increase in civilian casualties. the.
“It’s a very crude approach,” the official said. “Heavier weapons are not only heavier in weight, they are heavier in the damage they can deal. And they are much less discriminatory. “
Other officials have noticed a shift in Russia’s strategy from military targets to civilians, with more attacks focused on population centers.
“The coming days are likely to be worse, with more death, more suffering and more destruction, as the Russian armed forces bring in heavier weapons and more destruction,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said. continued attacks across the country,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday.
WE Foreign Minister Antony Blinken echoed this sentiment during a press conference in Brussels on Friday, where he was meeting with European allies.
“The Kremlin attacks are causing increasing damage to the civilians there. Hundreds, if not thousands, of Ukrainians have been killed, many more injured, as well as citizens of other countries. More than a million refugees have left Ukraine for neighboring countries. Millions of people across Ukraine are trapped in increasingly dire conditions as Russia destroys more critical infrastructure,” Blinken said.
