Russia's military move on Kyiv has stalled as its forces struggle with basic logistics challenges, including shortages of food and fuel, with some units appearing to be gripped by low morale, a senior US defence official said on Tuesday.
Russia warned Kyiv residents to flee their homes on Tuesday and rained rockets down on Kharkiv, as Russian commanders who have failed to achieve a quick victory shifted their tactics to intensify the bombardment of Ukrainian cities.
Satellite images taken on Monday show a Russian military convoy north of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv that stretches for about 40 miles (64km), substantially longer than the 17 miles (27km) reported earlier in the day.
"One reason why things appear to be stalled north of Kyiv is that the Russians themselves are regrouping and rethinking and trying to adjust to the challenges that they've had," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The official told reporters that it was unclear whether the convoy itself had stalled, but it was not making much progress.
"The Russians have been surprised by some of the morale problems that they're experiencing and I think they're none too pleased about the logistics and sustainment challenges they've had," the official said, without providing evidence.
Still, Russian forces attacked a television tower in Ukraine's capital Kyiv, potentially disrupting its signal, Ukrainian interior ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko said.
As the invasion entered its sixth day, Russia had launched more than 400 missiles on Ukrainian targets so far but did not control any major cities or have complete control of the skies over Ukraine.
