Russian troops are far from their goal - to surround Ukrainian military in Donbass - Pentagon

Russia is "a few days behind schedule" in its offensive in Donbas due to Ukraine's fierce resistance and supply problems.

This was reported by The New York Times, with reference to a closed briefing by a senior Pentagon official.

According to him, russian troops have reached only partial progress, and they are not close to their goal - to surround tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops.

"It's a massacre," the official said about the fierce fighting between both sides in a flat, open area.

According to a Pentagon spokesman, many russian BTGs suffered significant losses of personnel and equipment in the first phase of the war. They were hastily rebuilt in russia, and therefore many units that were thrown back into battle are likely to be understaffed. Russia currently operates 92 battalion tactical groups (BTGs) in Ukraine.

The Pentagon estimates that russia is also stepping up its air and artillery target strikes that, it believes, could prevent Ukraine from transporting weapons and troops to the front.