Why is a 40-mile-long Russian military convoy stalled outside Kyiv? What to know

A Russian military convoy spanning nearly 40 miles remains stalled outside the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv as of 10:30 a.m. ET, March 3, defense experts say.

The huge convoy of tanks, armored vehicles, towed artillery and supply vehicles has become bogged down about 18 miles from Kyiv, CNN reported.

“The column has made little discernible progress in over three days,” a statement from the United Kingdom’s defense ministry said, according to the network.

Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine on three fronts early Thursday, Feb. 24, bombarding cities, towns and villages as forces advanced toward the capital of Kyiv.

The city of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine has been surrounded, and Russian forces are hitting Kyiv with rockets as more than a million Ukrainians flee to the west. Other nations around the world, including the United States, have enacted strict sanctions on Russia.

Ukraine, the second-largest nation in Europe by land mass, was part of the former Soviet Union until it declared independence in 1991. It is not a NATO member.

Here’s what you need to know.

Why is a Russian military convoy stalled outside Kyiv?

Stiff resistance, mechanical breakdowns and supply shortages are causing problems for the Russian advance on Kyiv, a senior U.S. Department of Defense official said in a briefing.

“We believe that that’s for a number of reasons: obviously, the resistance that they’re facing, the fuel and sustainment problems that they’re having,” the official said Tuesday.

“We are also picking up signs that they’re having problems feeding their troops; that they’re — not only are they running out of gas, but they are running out of food,” the official said.

Why is the stalled convoy a problem for Russia?

The 40-mile-long convoy makes an inviting target for Ukrainian attacks, particularly from the air as Ukrainian airspace remains disputed, CNN reported.

On Wednesday, a senior U.S. defense official said there are indications Ukrainian forces have targeted the convoy for attacks, USA Today reported.

Brig. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, the chief of defense intelligence of Ukraine, told the Military Times that his “intelligence officers and agents are directing and calling the strikes” against the convoy.

“We are striking the enemy’s columns,” he told the outlet on Wednesday, March 2.

Along with setting back Russian plans, the stoppage also may be taking a toll on morale among Russian forces stranded in the traffic jam, CNN reported.

“Despite the fact that their quantity is ten times bigger, the morale of the enemy is deteriorating,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, Axios reported. “More and more invaders are fleeing back to Russia.”

How long will the convoy remain stopped?

The convoy also may be holding in place while Russian military leaders reorganize their strategy in the face of tougher-than-expected Ukrainian defenses, the senior defense official said.

“They are possibly regrouping, rethinking, reevaluating, that that could be part of it,” the official said.

A senior U.S. defense official said Wednesday the United States believes Russia “will again learn from these missteps and these stumbles and will try to overcome them,” CNN reported.

And Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that while the convoy appears to remain stalled, there’s concern “that maybe the window is closing to be able to get aid into cities that may become under siege.”

This story was originally published March 3, 2022 at 9:37 AM with the headline "Why is a 40-mile-long Russian military convoy stalled outside Kyiv? What to know."