The Russian army may have advanced less fast than planned in five days of war in Ukraine, but experts on Monday warned against jumping to conclusions from the apparent slowdown.

The army is preparing strikes on Ukraine's capital Kyiv and other cities and, at the same time, trying to link together its attack forces in the south of the country.

Both strategies are certain to put many more civilians in harm's way.

- Not bogged down -

The US defence department has said that Russia was "frustrated" by stiff Ukrainian resistance, saying half of Moscow's troops previously massed at the border were now inside Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Russian soldiers to lay down their arms, telling them to "just save your lives".

But experts say the Russian war effort is far from running out of steam.

"They're not bogged down," said Olivier Kempf, head of La Vigie, a strategy consultancy.

"This is war, so there are difficulties. They may have logistics issues. But regardless of what we're told, they are making progress," he told AFP. "Only in video games do you conquer a country in two days."

Russia's overall superiority, especially in the skies, gives it "a significant degree of freedom of movement across the country", said Nick Brown at Janes, a British defence intelligence service.

"Satellite imagery of long columns of vehicles in the open suggests that they remain confident of their own positions and Ukraine's inability to roll them up," he said.

- Southern link-up -

Battles are raging in southern Ukraine where Russian troops have pushed forward from Crimea, with now a gap of only a few dozen kilometres (miles) left between the Russian army's southwestern and southeastern flanks.

Ukrainian forces are fighting hard to prevent a link-up of the two Russian attack wings, which experts say would be a game changer.

The strategic port cities of Odessa to the west and Mariupol -- still held by Ukraine -- in the east are the region's prime targets for Russia.

A fall of Mariupol "would allow territorial continuity between the Rostov-on-Don region and Crimea", said one French military source, who declined to be named.

This would give Russia an opportunity to "absorb or annex" Ukraine's entire east, the source said.

Russia could also engage in a pincer movement against Ukrainian forces in the breakaway Donbas region -- even if it could be a challenge to "seize, hold and dominate the territory that they have covered to ensure their own security", Brown cautioned.

- Striking indiscriminately -

Civilian casualties have remained contained at several hundred on the Ukrainian side, and Russia has told Kyiv residents that they are free to leave the city to the south.

Moscow has also accused Ukraine of using civilians as human shields.

"Ukraine is not like Syria for the Russians," said one European diplomatic source. "It's much more difficult for them to justify carpet-bombing."

Aware that many Russians have friends and family in Ukraine, Putin deliberately labelled the leadership in Kyiv "Nazis", the source said, because "Russians don't start out by thinking of Ukrainians as enemies".

The call to the population to leave Kyiv may well prepare the ground for more intense air strikes on the capital, the French military source said.

In Kharkiv, meanwhile, Russian troops are firing rockets in the intense struggle for Ukraine's second-biggest city, the source said.

"That means that the Russians are hitting hard, and more and more indiscriminately," the source said. "The coming days will be much tougher."

This view was shared elsewhere, with one security source telling AFP that a second Russian attack wave was "imminent".

"They are preparing something truly massive," added a diplomatic source.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine: Latest developments
Paris (AFP) Feb 28, 2022 - Here are the latest developments in Russia's attack on Ukraine:

- 11 killed in Kharkiv -

At least 11 civilians are killed in ongoing shelling of Ukraine's second city Kharkiv in the east of the country.

- More talks planned -

Negotiators from Ukraine and Russia will return to their capital cities for consultations and have plans for fresh talks, both sides announce after a first meeting since war broke out.

- Russia defends war -

Russia defends its decision to invade Ukraine before the UN General Assembly as the 193 members debate a resolution condemning Moscow's "unprovoked armed aggression".

- Putin lays down terms -

Russian President Vladimir Putin tells his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that the "demilitarisation and denazification" of Ukraine and Western recognition of Russian sovereignty over the Crimean peninsula are prerequisites to ending fighting.

- Russia tells civilians to leave Kyiv -

The Russian army tells residents of the Ukrainian capital they can "freely leave" on one highway as it hints of attacks on civilian areas.

- 'More ruthless' -

The Russian military campaign is becoming more and more ruthless and Ukrainian armed forces are fighting back with courage," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says.

- Russian diplomats expelled -

Twelve members of Russia's diplomatic mission to the UN have been ordered to leave the United States by the end of March, Russia's UN ambassador says.

- US, Canada hit Moscow central bank -

The United States and Canada ban all transactions with Russia's central bank, effective immediately, in an unprecedented sanction.

- UK, EU tighten sanctions -

The UK promises a "full assets freeze" on all of Russia's banks and orders all UK seaports to turn away Russian vessels.

The European Union announces asset freezes and visa bans on a further 26 people including Kremlin mouthpiece Dmitry Peskov and Kremlin-linked oligarchs including Rosneft head Igor Sechin, magnate Alisher Usmanov and bankers Petr Aven and Mikhail Fridman.

- EU dampens membership hopes -

The EU pours cold water on a plea from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for "immediate" membership to the bloc for his country, saying the adherence process takes years.

- Ruble crashes -

Putin announces emergency measures intended to prop up the plunging ruble, including banning residents from transferring money abroad and forcing exporters to buy the currency.

- '352 civilians killed' -

Kyiv says 352 civilians have been killed, including 14 children, since the invasion began last Thursday. Russia has acknowledged for the first time that it has suffered losses.

- Half a million refugees -

More than half a million people have fled Ukraine in the last five days, says the UN's refugee arm, UNHCR, with tens of thousands more displaced inside the country.

- EU sending arms and fighter jets -

EU countries will give fighter jets to Ukraine, foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says as the bloc agrees to transport weapons worth 450 million euros to Kyiv.

- Toughest ever sanctions -

Brussels' latest wave of swingeing sanctions against Russia and Belarus are its toughest ever, closing EU airspace to Russian aircraft and banning two Russian broadcasters.

It then adds Russian oligarchs and the Kremlin spokesman to its blacklist.

- Russia retaliates -

Russia responds by banning flights by airlines from 36 countries including Britain and Germany.

- Pentagon studying nuclear order -

Pentagon officials call Putin's order to mobilize his nuclear forces "dangerous" but say they have not seen any indication of any change in the country's strategic threat.

- Turkey blocks warships -

Turkey says it is blocking warships from the key Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits in line with a convention that gives it control over the passage of military vessels in the strategic area.

- Finland to supply arms -

Finland takes the "historic" decision to supply weapons to Ukraine following Russia's invasion of its neighbour, its prime minister announces.

- Sporting ban urged -

The International Olympic Committee urges sports federations and organisers to exclude Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from international events.

- Russia kicked out of World Cup -

Russia has been expelled from the 2022 World Cup and its teams suspended from all international football competitions "until further notice", FIFA and UEFA say.

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Isolated Russia defends Ukraine war at UN General Assembly
United Nations, United States (AFP) Feb 28, 2022
Facing deepening isolation on the world stage, Russia faced a crucial test of support Monday as the 193 members of the UN General Assembly held an extraordinary debate on a resolution condemning Moscow's "aggression" in Ukraine. During the rare emergency special session - just the 11th the Assembly has held in the United Nations' 77-year history - Russia defended its decision to invade its neighbor as member state after member state made a plea for peace. "The fighting in Ukraine must stop," w ... read more