40-mile Russian convoy headed to Kyiv has 'virtually stalled for over a week'

The 40-mile (64 km) long Russian military column convoy heading toward Kyiv has "virtually stalled for over a week and sits about 15 miles out from the city", said The Washington Post.

"Mechanical breakdown, congestion and morale issues, plus food and fuel supplies running low", are cited by the BBC as contributing factors to the extremely slow progress.

“Additionally, one former commander of the U.K. Joint Forces Command, told the BBC command and control issues such as faulty radio networks are likely to be causing bigger problems.”

“The Associated Press, meanwhile, reports that Ukrainian resistance may also account for some of the slowdown, with one senior U.S. defense official saying Ukrainian troops have been targeting the convoy with ground fire, including shoulder-fired Javelin anti-tank missiles, and essentially creating roadblocks when vehicles at the front of the convoy are struck.”

“Alternatively, though, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby has suggested that the vehicles, which he says are largely meant for ‘resupply’ purposes, could be deliberately paused as the Russians regroup themselves.”

“Cited by The Washington Post last week, the director of the Security and Defense Studies Program at Turkish think tank EDAM[a], added detail to that suggestion, explaining the convoy’s delay could be partially the result of Russia’s attempt to move away from a failed plan to ‘decapitate’ the Ukrainian government quickly.”

“The Russian forces are instead now trying to transition to ‘Soviet-type heavy fire power and armor-focused operations,’ he said.”

“Going further, the former head of the British Army, General Lord Dannatt, told the BBC ‘This enormous column ... will encircle and lay siege to the capital,’ Kyiv, where the New Yorker reported last week that thousands of those residents still in the city are seeking shelter every night in its metro system.”

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[juliataylor]

Gives a whole new meaning to the term long stay parking.

[zoltanb]

The convoy is not stalled. They are isolating for two weeks before entering the city. They are respecting the Ukrainian Covid regulations.

[omegaman]

Very suspicious. I imagine the need for food and heat. I was in the military myself and it wasn't fun out in the field. You put up with the hardships many times by thinking about home.

[TheFloorface]

fair play it must be damn stressful being one of the russians in that convoy. you've been sat there for days and days with nothing to do but think about how your truck might be the next to get hit by a drone strike. with no end in sight, no where to run and hide and no cause you can believe in or use to justify to yourself why you're even there.

[Headbangerr-encc]

Imagine Putin's nightmare:
Super expensive jet figter shot by the postman
Drone destroyed with a jar of cucumbers by babushka
Tank sold to gypsy's by hungry Russian soldiers, so they could buy pierogi's and vodka

[neiljasonvillanueva]

"Every A-10 pilots dream" convoy.

[brenden]

Imagine being in one of those trucks and tanks for a week. No bathroom, bed, space and fear of constant attack. Their morale is probably at its breaking point.

[jeanponce]

We got stuck in a traffic jam on purpose. We only needed 2000 vehicles to shut that road down. My Generals graduated at Trump university school of strategic road blocks

[DavidJ]

That's essentially a resupply convoy for the Ukrainian resistance. 🤣
Glory to Ukraine!!!! 🇺🇦 🇺🇲

[DrewWithington]

Every day the convey sits there and does nothing is another small step towards a Ukrainian victory.

[londoncalling]

The amount of times the press and media have said this convoy is on the move, they should of arrived a week ago ...

[andyr]

Imagine being a Russian soldier in that convey just waiting for a missile

[Krisidb]

Seeing this makes me think that Russia is only a treat because of their nukes and not exactly because of their army. But then again no Russian trooper really wants this war so morale is an issue.

Edit: I don't mean to say that the Russian military has bad men or soldiers but the old Soviet way of doing thing in the 21st century is not the best thing for a so called, , peace mission/patrol" as Putin says. It just screams for trouble and so many casualties will not go and aren't going unnoticed by the people of Russia who are suffering because of him. They were going to modernize their army and I thought it was gonna happen but seeing this only makes the Russian army stop that progress for decades more. Further falling behind the west in terms of technology.

[dhjoubert]

300 Spartans fought off more than 70, 000 Persians and 10, 000 Immortals (special forces). They killed about 20, 000 of them. They did this by fighting in a narrow corridor in the mountains that would only allow a small number of the enemy to engage them at a time. This sounds much the same as this convoy that can only exit that road with a few vehicles at a time. I know the Persians did not have long range artillery and aircraft like the Russians do, but the Ukrainians are using hit a run tactics and taking out vehicles at the front to slow the whole convoy down. Go Ukraine!

[AlTarif]

Tire degradation in that convoy must be through the roof as well.

[DavidJ]

A Ukrainian farmer just sold me an abandoned Russian tank that he towed to his house with his tractor. The tank works fine, it just needed a little fuel. 🤣😅
Glory to Ukraine!!! 🇺🇦 🇺🇲

[ConnieWobbles]

I feel sad for all the young boys that will undoubtedly die in those vehicles. But the Russians have to be stopped 🇬🇧💙💛🇺🇦

[Best_grass]

It has been there for so long, imagine how the soldiers are feeling lmao

[DavidJ]

Ukraine has become the world's biggest seller of Russian scrap metal. 🤣🤣
Glory to Ukraine!!! 🇺🇦 🇺🇲

[IvarDaigon]

The road has effectively become a choke point because the Kievans have flooded the fields around it so the trucks and tanks cant go off-road which makes it very hard for them to move forward or even turn around and go via a different road.
The Russians are trying to set up a staging point around Antonov airport in Hostomel so they can airlift more ground troops in but the Ukrainians know exactly what they are doing so they have focused a lot of their forces in that area and so there is heavy fighting there.
Also the terrain in that area is covered in trees especially between the airport and downtown Kiev so its very easy to set up ambushes.
This is only going to get worse for the Russians as the trees begin to green and give the Kievans even more cover to hide their troops.