Russian soldiers only have enough supplies for "three more days" of fighting in Ukraine as attacks on Mariupol fail and offensives are stalled elsewhere, according to Kyiv generals.
Vladimir Putin's troops could run out of ammunition, food and fuel in a matter of days because of an inability to form a fuel pipeline, claimed the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
British Intelligence has said Russian attempts to capture Mariupol, viewed as a key target by Putin, "continue to be repulsed" as heavy fighting goes on.
Forces have been "largely stalled" elsewhere in Ukraine, including Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy and Kharkiv.
The assessment is in line with other Western allies' opinion that Russian supplies will run out this week and they will be forced to go on the defensive as they wait for more to arrive.
This "operational pause" will give Ukraine forces a chance to counter-attack.
This is something Ukrainian forces have already achieved in Makariv on the outskirts of Kyiv, capturing a key highway and blocking Russian soldiers from surrounding it to the northwest.
Yet this setback doesn't mean a ceasefire is imminent.
Judging on events up until this point, Russia could get more brutal the longer the war drags on.
It comes as the Russian advance on Kyiv falters, with forces stalling northeast of the city.
The Kremlin attack from the direction of Hostomel - to the northwest - has been pushed back.
The majority of Russian troops attempting to encircle the capital are more than 25km from the centre of Kyiv.
He warned Putin that he would never be able to send enough troops into Ukraine to take the country.
"Putin, without declaring war, is bombing residents, hospitals, cities of Ukraine," he said, according to translations of the press conference.
"People of Russia, don't look at the zombies. The Ukrainian people are a brave people.
"They will stop this (Russian) equipment even without weapons. They are united."
