The intensity of fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces around the eastern city of Bakhmut is continuing to increase, president Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
Taking Bakhmut, the scene of some of the year-long war’s bloodiest battles, would be Russia’s first major prize in more than six months. It would open the way to seizing the last remaining urban centres in the Donetsk region, one of four Moscow claims to have annexed.
It comes after Vladimir Putin urged Russia’s security service to up its game in countering what he described as growing espionage and sabotage operations against Moscow by Ukraine and its Western allies.
In a speech to FSB officials, Putin said the agency had to stop “sabotage groups” entering Russia from Ukraine, step up protection of key infrastructure, and prevent any attempts by Western security services to revive what he called terrorist or extremist cells on Russian territory.
It arrives just hours after, Russia closed its airspace over St Petersburg after an unidentified object was spotted flying over the city.
Officials closed the airspace over Pulkovo airport on Tuesday morning, with Russian military aircraft scrambled to search for the “intruder”, local media reports.
