Vladimir Putin is renewing his efforts to take over Ukraine as new, alarming satellite images show an enormous convoy of Russian vehicles heading towards Kyiv on Tuesday.
The 40-mile long convoy was spotted by Maxar Technologies north of the Ukrainian capital, a sharp contrast to the previous reports of a 17-mile long convoy.
The forces are said to include armoured vehicles, tanks, artillery and support vehicles.
According to the US Pentagon, Russia has now moved 75% of its forces built up along the Ukrainian border and into the target country.
The advancing troops have prompted further fears that Kyiv is about to face an onslaught of rockets like those already deployed on the second-largest Ukrainian city, Kharkiv in a significant escalation of the ongoing war.
Downing Street has already warned Moscow that bombing civilian areas can be considered a “war crime”.
Despite this, the Kremlin appears to be stepping up its efforts to take over Ukraine after encountering unexpected strength from the country’s resistance.
On Tuesday morning, the Ministry of Defence also pointed out said that Russia’s attack on Kyiv has made little progress in the last 24 hours, most likely to due to logistical delays.
As deputy prime minister Dominic Raab told BBC Radio 4′s Today programme: ’We can expect, for every stutter and stumble, him [Putin] to try and come back for even more heavy-handed tactics, but that is a sign that the initial phase at least – and this is going to be a long haul – has not lived up to his expectations.”