Russian troop movement could mean further attacks in other parts of Ukraine, Pentagon says

The assault on Ukrainian cities continued Wednesday, despite Moscow’s pledge to reduce military activity, while at the same time roughly 20 percent of Russia’s troops near Kyiv appeared to be moving away from the capital, the Pentagon said, a possible precursor to further attacks in other parts of the country.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian promises of a drawdown were just “words,” and his forces are preparing for renewed strikes in the Donbas region, the hotly contested territory in eastern Ukraine bordering Russia. The U.S. Defense Department’s latest intelligence assessment supports Zelensky’s suspicion. Officials say Russia intends to “refit these troops, resupply them and probably employ them elsewhere in Ukraine,” spokesman John Kirby said. Some of the personnel have crossed into Belarus, he said.