Former commander of U.S. forces in Europe predicts Russia will fail to take Kyiv

Retired Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, the former commanding general of U.S. Army forces in Europe, said he believes Russian forces will be unable to capture the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, due to the city's sheer size and the resistance being mounted not only by Ukraine's military, but by its citizens.

Hodges said he foresaw "lots more destruction and fighting" in and around Kyiv, but he predicted the capital "will not fall" and the "Russians will not be able to take it."

Russian President Vladimir Putin's "initial strategy" when he invaded Ukraine — to quickly storm major cities, oust pro-Western President Volodymyr Zelensky and replace him with a Russian-friendly alternative — "has failed," said Hodges.