As the Russian military operation in Ukraine enters its eleventh day this Sunday, signs are increasing that the West believes Kyiv will eventually fall to Russian forces. In the latest field developments, the Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian troops are heading towards the "Kaniv Hydroelectric Power Plant" south of Kyiv. This comes amid a focus by Russian forces on the capital, while continuing attacks on Kharkiv and Mykolaiv, as well as establishing a land corridor with the Crimean Peninsula, according to the Ukrainian military.
The Washington Post reported that the United States and its allies are preparing for a Ukrainian government in exile and are supplying Ukraine with weapons and equipment that could be crucial in urban warfare. The newspaper highlighted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who so far refuses to leave the capital and move to the city of Lviv in the west of the country, viewing him as the pivotal force that Ukraine's allies depend on to maintain morale and rally Ukrainians as they resist Russia and wage urban warfare in Kyiv that could last for months or even years.
The publication noted that Ukraine's allies are planning to direct urban warfare operations against Russia in Kyiv by providing it with qualitative weapons and equipment that could be decisive in the battle.
Meanwhile, the third round of talks between delegations from Russia and Ukraine to halt the conflict will take place next Monday. Despite a lack of optimism about significant outcomes, there is hope for limited agreements that could reduce the intensity of the ongoing battles.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged accusations over the failure to provide safe corridors for civilians fleeing from two cities besieged and bombarded by Russian forces, which has led to the biggest humanitarian crisis in Europe in decades.
The war, which started on February 24, has caused nearly 1.5 million refugees to flee west to the European Union and unprecedented international sanctions on Moscow, along with warnings of a global economic recession.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that its units had opened humanitarian corridors near the cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha, which are surrounded by Russian forces. However, the city council in Mariupol claimed that Russia is not adhering to the ceasefire agreement and has asked residents to return to shelters and wait for new information regarding evacuation.
The Russian news agency reported that the Russian Ministry of Defense accused "Ukrainian nationalists" of preventing civilians from leaving the two cities. Mariupol, a port in southeastern Ukraine, has faced heavy bombardment, highlighting its strategic significance to Moscow due to its location between areas controlled by Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine and the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the broad attack will continue in Ukraine while denying that it is targeting civilians or seeking to occupy the country, describing its strikes as a "special military operation."
