I asked some people who have studied Russian military doctrine.
Their answer is that the Russians are following their standard battle doctrine. They are standing off beyond potential artillery range from the defenders in the city and have positioned forward artillery of the own to pound the defenders while they prepare supplies and troops for the final assault.
The Russians have uncontested air space above their convoys. That is the only way this kind of maneuver can work. Otherwise, they would all be piles of smoldering wreckage by now.
The Turkish battle drones have been devastatingly effective, but there simply aren't enough of them to make a difference. Also, while the drones are very hard to spot or take down, the operator control stations are easily located by their radio emissions. They will get wacked by Russian artillery or air strikes if the operators stay in one place very long.
Drones can be killed by battle lasers quite easily. No such systems appear to be deployed by the Russian forces.
We had best be cautious about believing our own propaganda. Rotten tires and mechanical failures are part of casualty planning for this sort of campaign. They are not decisive.
Let's see if the Russians start the full-scale artillery attack next. Their second assault on the Chechnya city of Grozny is the model they may follow.
Thanks, I read RT when I can get through and Putin basically said the same, that he’s pretty much finished off neutralizing military assets and preparing for the final assaults, which is why I made my comment.
THANK YOU! Despite the propaganda spread by the lockstep media and its (think tank funded) celebrity experts, no military observer actually believes the Russian columns are stalled, broken down, or out of fuel. These are orderly formations of combat, combat support, and combat service support units, forward positioned behind the battle lines -- evidence that Russia has yet to commit its full weight to the fight while Ukraine's negotiating positions are steadily crumbling.
A notable departure from Russia's standard doctrine has been its relatively sparing use of artillery so far. The same has been true of its limited use of air strikes - which have been announced in advance with calls for nearby civilians to move away from danger. These doctrinal departures further indicate that Moscow is "holding back" to avoid civilian casualties. Just my observations...