Russia deploys 22 battallion groups along Donbas north

Russia deploys 22 battallion groups along Donbas north - UK MoD

The UK Defence Ministry's morning briefing says Russia has deployed 22 battalion groups near Izyum, an eastern city, in a bid to push into the Donbas region, Qazet.az reports.

"Despite struggling to break through Ukrainian defences and build momentum, Russia highly likely intends to proceed beyond Izium to capture the cities of Kramatorsk and Severodonetsk," the ministry said.

"Capturing these locations would consolidate Russian military control of the north-eastern Donbas and provide a staging point for their efforts to cut-off Ukrainian forces in the region," the statement added.