Pentagon And U.S. Intelligence Says Russia Could Seize Kyiv In Days And Cause 50,000 Civilian Casualties In Ukraine

Russia would be able to overrun Ukraine in just two days in an invasion that could kill 50,000 civilians, according to US intelligence. (Above, a picture released by the Russian Defence Ministry on February 4 shows rocket launchers during joint exercises of the armed forces of Russia and Belarus as part of an inspection of the Union State's Response Force, at a firing range in Belarus)  

Daily Mail: Russia will be able to overrun Ukraine in two days and an invasion would kill 50,000 civilians, warns US intelligence - and Putin is planning a nuclear exercise to warn off the West 

* Western intelligence assessments believe Kyiv's government could fall within that timeframe, and lead to humanitarian crisis involving around 5m refugees 

* Likelihood of a diplomatic resolution of crisis appears increasingly slim, the analysis concluded 

* NATO has warned that Russia is massing nuclear-capable missiles along with 30,000 troops in Belarus 

* Vladimir Putin urged US and its allies to roll back alliance deployments to Eastern Europe - demands which have been flatly rejected 

Russia would be able to overrun Ukraine in just two days in an invasion that could kill 50,000 civilians, according to US intelligence. 

Western intelligence assessments also believe Kyiv's government would fall within that timeframe, and lead to a humanitarian crisis involving around 5million refugees. 

The likelihood of a diplomatic resolution of the crisis appears to be increasingly slim, the analysis concluded. Read more ....  

Update #1: Russia could seize Kyiv in days and cause 50,000 civilian casualties in Ukraine, U.S. assessments find (Washington Post)  

Update #2: Gen. Milley says Kyiv could fall within 72 hours if Russia decides to invade Ukraine: sources (FOX News) 

WNU Editor: I am skeptical that Kyiv would fall in 2 - 3 days, or the assessment that there will be 50,000 civilian casualties. But the 5 million refugees makes sense. 

On a side note. 

According to Germany's Bild, they have the Kremlin's plans on what will follow a Russian invasion of Ukraine .... Russia sends two long-range nuclear-capable bombers over Belarus - as 'intelligence report' says Ukrainians 'will be rounded up in internment camps as part of Putin's invasion plan' (Daily Mail).