The White House reports Russian forces are on the verge of capturing Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, despite the United States and its allies levying huge sanctions on Russia.
The White House announced late Thursday that Russia’s military forces were 20 miles outside of Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv.
There are reports that 450 Russian soldiers were killed on Day 1 of WW3, and hundreds of military equipment were captured by Ukraine forces. However, Ukraine’s losses are believed to be much worse.
The sanctions imposed by the U.S. on Russia have not slowed its attack on Ukraine and Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin’s plan to capture the capital.
Whatever was shot down over Kyiv was pretty big pic.twitter.com/aV6a3VwPgX
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) February 25, 2022
CNN reporting now the explosion over Kyiv tonight was a Ukrainian SU-27 shot down by Russian anti-air battery in the city's suburbs. Ukraine has lost the skies over its capital. Grim.
— Paul McLeary (@paulmcleary) February 25, 2022
Early Friday, Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelensky announced, “Russia’s sabotage forces have entered the capital. Me and my family are remaining.”
Zelensky confirmed ballistic and cruise missiles hit Kyiv overnight, and he wondered aloud whether help was on the way.
“We are left alone in defense of our state. Who is ready to fight with us? I don’t see it. Who is ready to guarantee Ukraine’s accession to Nato? Everyone is afraid. I asked the 27 leaders of Europe whether Ukraine should be in Nato. I asked directly. They are all afraid. And we are not afraid.”
Zelensky (L) is pictured with U.S. Pres. Joe Biden at a White House meeting on Sept. 1, 2021.
During a press conference from the White House on Thursday, Biden said, “Our forces are not and will not be engaged in a conflict with Russia in Ukraine. Our forces are not going to Europe to fight in Ukraine.”
When Biden first took office in Jan. 2021, he removed sanctions imposed on Russia by the outgoing Trump administration. That opened the door for Putin’s military action in Ukraine.
Former Pres. Donald Trump wrote an executive order imposing sanctions on any company that helped Russia’s state-owned gas company, Gazprom.
Biden removed those sanctions and handed Russia back its pipeline (while simultaneously shutting down America’s oil pipeline). Biden allowed Russia to extend its pipeline into Eastern Europe, and along with it, the power to invade Eastern Europe.
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) February 25, 2022
In the face of massive military losses, Putin offered to begin to negotiating “terms of surrender” for Ukraine.
“We are not afraid to talk to Russia,” said Zelensky in response. “We are not afraid to talk about security guarantees for our state. We are not afraid to talk about neutral status. But what security guarantees will we have? But which countries will give them?”
Putin said the “final straw” that led to the invasion of Ukraine was Zelensky’s announcement of his intent to restore Ukraine as a nuclear power.
Meanwhile, the world is watching to see if China will invade Taiwan.
CNN’s team witnessed Russian airborne forces engaging in firefight with Ukrainian soldiers north of Kyiv pic.twitter.com/8z7KexZiL5
— ELINT News (@ELINTNews) February 24, 2022
