Russian forces are planting mines around areas they have seized as they prepare for a “long war” of attrition in Ukraine, new images show.
The Institute for the Study of War, a US think tank, says Russian troops are strengthening their positions around the periphery of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, and in other parts of the country.
Nearly a month after the invading army first crossed the border, the lightning advance which Vladimir Putin anticipated has failed to materialise.
Now latest satellite footage shows troops digging trenches and fortifications around military equipment northwest of Kyiv.
With a stalemate unfolding in key battlegrounds, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky today asked the Pope to intervene in the conflict.
In a call with Pope Francis, he asked if the Catholic Church could play a “mediating role”.
The president said he discussed the “difficult humanitarian situation and the blocking of rescue corridors by Russian troops.”
So far the Kremlin has not responded to the Vatican’s numerous offers to help set up negotiations.
President Zelensky also addressed the Italian parliament and referred to his lengthy conversation with the Pope.
Meanwhile Ukrainian officials said Moscow has lost its “offensive potential” and is being forced to call in reinforcements from the “depths” of Russia as it retreats in key battles.
It said some troops are deserting, forcing generals to take drastic decisions.
The Ukraine armed forces said Russian troops had been “repelled” from Makariv, a strategically important Kyiv suburb, and the Ukrainian flag was raised over the town “thanks to the heroic actions of our defenders”.
The recapture of Makariv, about 37 miles west of Kyiv, could prevent Russian forces from encircling the capital from the northwest.
It comes as a senior Ukrainian general has claimed that the Kremlin is preparing its population for a “long war” and implementing draconian mobilisation measures, including deploying members of the youth military organisation, who are aged between 17 and 18.
Officials claim 15,000 Russian soldiers have died so far, although these figures cannot be verified.
Saboteurs sent into Ukraine at the beginning of the conflict continue to be caught.
They include a man disguised as a monk who was detained in Kyiv, First Deputy Interior Minister Yevhen Yenin revealed last night.
“The enemy is using various cover-ups,” he revealed. “A saboteur dressed in monastic clothes has been detained in Kyiv. Instructions, photos of checkpoints, military facilities and calls to Russia have been found on his phone.”
In Britain, the Ministry of Defence said Russian forces have “endured yet another day of limited progress, with most forces largely stalled in place”.
The Ukrainian military also claims the invading army only has stockpiles of ammunition and food to last for “no more than three days”.
And a senior US defence official said a lack of correct equipment has led to some soldiers suffering from frostbite.
It says the operation to take over Ukraine is being mobilised “chaotically”, leading to increasingly desperate tactics seen in the southern cities and around the capital Kyiv.
US President Joe Biden warned that Putin might resort to biological and chemical weapons as his “back is against the wall”.
He believes the Russian leadership is prepared to carry out so-called “false flag” operations to justify its propaganda, including that America actually has chemical weapons ready to be launched in Europe.
“They are also suggesting that Ukraine has biological and chemical weapons in Ukraine,” he went on. “That’s a clear sign he’s considering using both of those. He’s already used chemical weapons in the past, and we should be careful of what’s about to come.”
Putin “knows there’ll be severe consequences because of the united Nato front,” he added, without specifying what actions the alliance would take.
President Biden also confirmed that Russia has used hypersonic missiles against key targets in Ukraine.
Kyiv’s deputy head of police has accused Russian forces of using white phosphorus in the city of Kramatorsk, in the northern part of Donetsk.
Oleksiy Biloshytskiy shared a clip of a substance releasing white smoke into the air as it burned on the ground.
Mr Biloshytskiy wrote: “Another use of phosphorus ammunitions in Kramatorsk.”
White phosphorus is a toxic substance that is self-igniting when it interacts with oxygen.
In a signal of how willing Russia is to target its firepower on civilians, Ukraine’s Health Minister Viktor Lyashko said ten hospitals have now been completely destroyed since Russia invaded Ukraine.
He said others could not be restocked with medicines and supplies.
Despite significant Ukrainian resistance, the mayor of Boryspil city near Kyiv has told residents to “leave town ASAP” as fighting against Russian forces draws closer.