Stalled by Ukraine harassment, Russian generals revised their tactics for the offensive on Kyiv by opening a new front to the west and targeting the town of Lviv. They began the third week of their invasion on March 11 by splitting into multiple sub-convoys the huge column of tanks, armored vehicles, artillery and troops snaking around the capital. The sub-units are tightening their encirclement of the city ready to drive in from the north, west and east. Tanks diverted from the convoy were posted at Antonov airport to the north. Heavy artillery units were dug in in wooded areas around Kyiv ready for action.
The new Lviv front places Russian troops 340km from the Polish border.
On Friday, the Russians placed the town of Chernihiv to siege on while also moving east to beef up their encirclement of the capital. Mykolayiv is also under siege and heavy bombardment.
Western military analysts have found no indications that the Russian military is drawing lessons from the unforeseen resistance they have faced in the first two weeks of the war or preparing any radical changes of tactics. They are sticking to their slow, relentless advance on the capital, ravaging Ukrainian towns and areas in their path and keeping urban areas under crippling shelling, ravaging whole towns and putting millions of civilians to flight. READ MORE