Russia launched an amphibious assault on Ukraine, bringing in thousands of naval personnel ashore, a senior defense official said Friday.
The amphibious assault is underway into Ukraine, through the Sea of Azov, coming into west of Mariupol, the senior defense official told reporters.
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters the Department of Defense did not have “perfect visibility” on the assault and could not provide exact numbers for how many troops Russian put ashore through landing ships.
The amphibious assault is a piece of the Russian plan to cut off the Donbas region and continue to target population centers, Kirby said.
Until now, the Russian navy largely played a supporting role in the Ukrainian invasion, which Russia began early Thursday morning, USNI News previously reported.
