According to the US Defense Department, in the eastern direction, Russian troops are located about 55 km from the center of Kyiv.

The Ukrainian army pushed the enemy forces back from Kyiv / photo REUTERS

Over the past day, the Ukrainian army managed to push the enemy forces away from Kiev .

This was reported to reporters by a senior official from the US Department of Defense, writes  CNN .

According to him, the invaders were pushed back 25-35 km east of Kyiv.

“Russian forces are about 55 km from the center of Kyiv to the east, which is 25-35 km more than in the same place yesterday,” the official said.

Northwest of central Kyiv, Russian forces are digging in and taking up defensive positions, he said. Now they remain 15-20 kilometers (9-12 miles) from the center of Kyiv to the northwest.

“We’re starting to see them sort of digging in around Kyiv and trying to attack more in the eastern part [of Ukraine],” he said.

At the same time, the official clarified that the Russian army has become more active in the Donbass, “making much more effort” in the Luhansk and Don regions.

Earlier, Aleksey Arestovich, adviser to the head of the President’s Office, said that around the Ukrainian capital today there are about 12,000 Russian troops, but this figure may be lower.

On the eve of the head of the Kiev regional military administration Alexander Pavlyuk said that the task of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kiev region is  to keep Russian troops from trying to cross the Irpen River  and continue the offensive on the capital.

(C)UNIAN 2022