Ukrainian forces are “staunchly resistIng” another indiscriminate onslaught by Vladimir Putin’s troops on the besieged city of Mariupol, say British defence chiefs.
Amid heavy fighting, they still retain control of central areas of the port city on the Azov Sea which has been largely destroyed, with thousands of civilians feared to have died.
The shocking footage and reports of the killing of civilians in Bucha, near Kyiv, in what was almost certainly war crimes, will almost certainly stiffen the resistance.
In an intelligence briefing on Sunday night, the Ministry of Defence said: “Heavy fighting has continued in Mariupol as Russian forces attempt to take the city.
“The city continues to be subject to intense, indiscriminate strikes but Ukrainian Forces maintain a staunch resistance, retaining control in central areas.
“Mariupol is almost certainly a key objective of the Russian invasion as it will secure a land corridor from Russia to the occupied territory of Crimea.”
In an early morning update on Monday morning the MoD also stressed that Mr Putin continues to move troops, including from his “private” Wagner army, to eastern Ukraine after the failure of his lightning invasion plan to seize Kyiv within days.
“Russian forces are continuing to consolidate and reorganise as they refocus their offensive into the Donbas region in the east of Ukraine,” it said.
“Russian troops, including mercenaries from the Russian state-linked Wagner private military company, are being moved into the area.”
The Donbas includes the two areas of Luhansk and Donetsk held by Moscow-backed separatists.
Mariupol has been besieged for weeks with no running water or electricity, and little food or medicine.
Tens of thousands of civilians are still trapped in the city, with some reported to have starved to death.
Attempts to set up humanitarian corridors, to allow a mass evacuation, have repeatedly collasped, with some reports of Russian troops targeting fleeing civilians.
However, some convoys of cars and other vehicles have managed to leave the city.
Russian forces have also reportedly been targeting key infrastructure, including an oil depot, near the port city of Odesa in southern Ukraine.
Mr Putin’s military chiefs are believed to be planning an amphibious attack on the historic Black Sea port through which much of Ukraine’s trade goes.
But the city is heavily defended and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has appealed to Britain for anti-ship missiles, after the success of UK-supplied NLAW (Next generation Light Anti-tank Weapon) weapons against Russian ground advances.
Welsh Secretary Simon Hart said the Government was considering the request.
Russian forces have also been seen leaving the city of Sumy in north east Ukraine, having retreated from the Kyiv region, as well as from around the northern city of Chernihiv.
