Russia is possibly aiming “to secure the M04 highway, the main approach to Donetsk from the west”, the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in this morning’s war update.
While Moscow has over the past week scrambled to “re-orientate units to reinforce southern Ukraine”, attacks to the north of the city of Donetsk have continued, British intelligence said.
Particularly heavy fighting, the MoD added, has happened on the village of Pisky, near the site of Donetsk Airport, which Russian forces took full control of yesterday, Interfax cited the Russian defence ministry as saying.
However, the settlement of Pisky probably “remains contested”, the MoD said, echoing Ukraine’s military command, which said yesterday that “fierce fighting” continued in the village.