Russia is poised to deploy as much as 1000 extra mercenaries to Ukraine within the coming days and weeks, as a senior Western intelligence official warned Moscow may "bombard cities into submission," an escalation that might result in important civilian casualties.
The US has already seen "some indications" that Russian mercenaries could also be concerned in Moscow's invasion of Ukraine "in some locations", a senior defence official mentioned earlier this week, nevertheless it wasn't clear precisely the place or in what numbers.
"We have seen some indications that they are being employed," the official mentioned.
Now, a US official tells CNN that Russia is planning to deploy as much as 1000 extra mercenaries within the close to future.
Some Russian forces have struggled with morale points and setbacks on the battlefield, together with a large convoy north of Kyiv that has remained largely stalled for the previous a number of days.
The mercenary forces would fortify the flagging models, the official mentioned, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters its second weekend.
The official added the US believes the mercenaries already in Ukraine have "carried out poorly when going through the stiffer-than-expected resistance from the Ukrainians," and that as many as 200 such mercenaries have already been killed within the conflict as of late February.
In the meantime, US and western officers anticipate Russia to extend the tempo and energy of its strikes on key Ukrainian inhabitants centres, together with the capital of Kyiv, from which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has broadcast regular however defiant messages in opposition to Russia's aggression.
Russia now appears ready to "bombard cities into submission," one senior western intelligence official mentioned on Friday, which may embrace a big enhance within the variety of civilian casualties.
"It is a very crude method," the official mentioned.
"The heavier weapons aren't simply heavier within the weight, they're additionally heavier when it comes to the harm that they'll inflict. They usually're far much less discriminant."
Different officers have observed a shift in Russian technique from navy targets to civilians, with extra assaults changing into targeted on inhabitants centres. The brand new method comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin did not get the short victory he wished, and the Russian navy has confronted stiff and decided Ukrainian resistance throughout the nation.
Within the face of the resistance, the assaults will enhance, officers warned.
"The times to come back are prone to be worse, with extra loss of life, extra struggling, and extra destruction, because the Russian armed forces herald heavier weaponry and proceed their assaults throughout the nation," NATO Secretary-Basic Jens Stoltenberg mentioned earlier in the present day.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed the sentiment throughout a information convention in Brussels, the place he's assembly with European allies.
"The Kremlin's assaults are inflicting an ever-increasing toll on civilians there," Mr Blinken mentioned.
"Lots of if not hundreds of Ukrainians have been killed, many extra wounded, as have residents of different nations. Greater than 1,000,000 refugees have fled Ukraine to neighbouring nations.
Lethal machine-gun ambush in Kyiv
"Thousands and thousands of individuals throughout Ukraine are trapped in more and more dire situations as Russia destroys extra vital infrastructure."