Russian forces are paying a high price for “limited” territorial gains in the battle for the Donbas, according to British defence chiefs.
In its latest intelligence update on the war in Ukraine, the UK’s Ministry of Defence said there had been heavy fighting around the cities of Lysychansk and Severodonetsk in the Luhansk region of the country.
But the MoD said Russia’s push to seize control of the eastern part of Ukraine - now the main focus of the conflict - was meeting “strong Ukrainian resistance”.
“The Battle of Donbas remains Russia’s main strategic focus, in order to achieve its stated aim of securing control over the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts,” the MoD said.
“In these oblasts fighting has been particularly heavy around Lysychansk and Severodonetsk, with an attempted advance south from Izium towards Slovyansk.
“Due to strong Ukrainian resistance, Russian territorial gains have been limited and achieved at significant cost to Russian forces.”
Despite Russia’s push for the Donbas, Thursday’s missile strike in Kyiv during a visit by the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has underlined how the Ukrainian capital and other parts of the country remain vulnerable to attack.
The rockets shook the central Shevchenko district of the city and one struck the lower floors of a 25-storey residential building, wounding at least 10 people, Ukrainian officials said.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the blasts "prove that we must not drop our vigilance. We must not think that the war is over."
Speaking to the BBC following the strike, Mr Guterres said he was “shocked to be informed that two rockets had exploded in the city where I am”.
He added: “So this is a dramatic war, and we absolutely need to end this war, and we absolutely need to have a solution for this war.”
Meanwhile around 8,000 British Army troops will take part in exercises across eastern Europe to combat Russian aggression in one of the largest deployments since the Cold War.
Dozens of tanks will be deployed to countries ranging from Finland to North Macedonia this summer under plans that have been enhanced since the invasion of Ukraine.
Joining them will be tens of thousands of troops from Nato and the Joint Expeditionary Force alliance, which includes Finland and Sweden.
The MoD said the action had been long planned, but that it had been enhanced in response since Russia invaded its neighbour in late February.
Commander Field Army Lieutenant General Ralph Wooddisse said: "The UK makes a significant contribution to the defence of Europe and the deterrence of Russian aggression.
"The British Army's series of exercises is fundamental to both.
"The scale of the deployment, coupled with the professionalism, training and agility of the British Army, will deter aggression at a scale not seen in Europe this century."
The UK deployment is expected to build to a peak of around 8,000 personnel operating in mainland Europe between April and June.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: "The security of Europe has never been more important.
"These exercises will see our troops join forces with allies and partners across Nato and the Joint Expeditionary Force in a show of solidarity and strength in one of the largest shared deployments since the Cold War."
