Surely you would have to take random media articles with a grain of salt. If you can show me a putin speech with that language or a russian ministry of defence statement saying they will take Kiev persaps? No?
They certainly deployed a sizeable force in the Kiev region but not large enough to take the city, obviously probing the city and tying down forces there from other fronts. The Ukraine pushed hard on them and there were significant losses. A withdrawal to focus on the Donbas where they realised they needed more Artillery and airpower focus to overcome the massive amount of fortification .
Airborne troops at the airport is not going to take a city the size of Kiev and no heavy weapons. The russians certainly got a blood nose there but did a tactical withdrawal of that northern force. Hostamel effort was initially successful but the plan to land additional airborne forces there was a failure.
If the media article was true then Kiev government buildings would have been targets of stand off missile strikes.....didnt happen yet. The russians have focused on military and logistical targets.
