Yet Russia’s progress towards Kyiv seems to have hit a snag. After initially swift advances, Moscow’s momentum began to slow amid fierce resistance from the Ukrainian people, with local forces reportedly expelling Russian forces from Kharkiv after fighting in the streets.
As Russian troops poured across the Ukrainian border on Feb 24, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the present conflict is on a whole different scale than Russia’s previous invasion of Georgia and Crimea.
With its 100,000-strong invasion force striking all across the country and gradually converging on its capital city of Kyiv, it seems that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ambitions extend beyond the separatist provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk. It is likely that he wishes to invade the whole country.
