Russian forces currently do not have the ability to threaten Kyiv with a new attack, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, said on Tuesday, the Kyiv Independent reports.

“There is always a possibility of missile attacks. “Kyiv is the capital and an important target (for Russia) in this war,” Milli said.

He added that the Russians have already launched a new offensive on Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. Russia has been building up its forces there, and the fighting could last for several weeks.

However, “the front line from Kharkiv to Kherson is quite stable, despite the heavy fighting.” Currently, Ukraine is repelling enemy attacks, mainly from the Russian PMK Wagner.

Milli said that Russia had lost “strategically, operationally and tactically” in Ukraine and that it was “paying a huge price on the battlefield,” according to Reuters.

Milley, speaking at a joint news conference with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Brussels, said President Vladimir Putin believed he could quickly defeat Ukraine when he ordered his troops to invade nearly a year ago.

“Putin was wrong. Ukraine remains free. They remain independent. NATO and its coalition have never been stronger. Now Russia is a world pariah, and the world remains inspired by the courage and resilience of Ukrainians. In short, Russia has lost – it has lost strategically, operationally and tactically, and is paying a huge price on the battlefield,” he said.

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