Russian forces have launched a new offensive in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, having spent recent weeks concentrating troops and military equipment in the area.
Here are the latest developments:
- Russia has begun a new large-scale offensive in Donbas
- Ukrainian forces are continuing counterattacks around Kharkiv
- Final few Ukrainian troops in Mariupol still holding out against Russians
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, but its forces have now fully withdrawn from around the capital Kyiv and northern Ukraine to Belarus and Russia.
A large-scale Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine has begun after Russia refocused its efforts there, following its withdrawal from the north of Ukraine.
Russia targets full control in the east
Russian officials have said that the focus of their forces is now the “complete liberation” of the Donbas, which broadly refers to Ukraine’s eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, where Russian-backed separatists held significant territory before the invasion.
Russia has substantially increased its troop numbers in the Donbas region in recent weeks, with satellite imagery showing a build-up of forces on Ukraine’s border and convoys of vehicles travelling towards the frontline.
According to the Ukrainian government, Russian forces have begun bombarding Ukrainian positions along the 300-mile front in Donbas. But, with the Ukrainian defences well-established and dug in, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believe Russia is “unlikely to achieve a major breakthrough” in the coming days.
Russian progress slows in the south
Russian forces initially made rapid gains in the south, with their main objective being the creation of a land corridor between Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, and areas held by Russian-backed separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk.
Standing in the way of that objective has been the port city of Mariupol, which has been encircled by Russian forces since the start of March.
Ukrainian resistance is now restricted to the Azovstal metal works, where the final Ukrainians continue to hold out, having refused to surrender. Russian-backed fighters are reportedly trying to storm the sprawling industrial complex.
Russia has been accused of war crimes for its intense shelling of the city, with the local mayor saying more than 20,000 civilians have been killed.
To the west, Russia had been attempting to push towards Odesa, with the aim of cutting off Ukraine’s access to the Black Sea, but their advances stalled at Mykolaiv.
The ISW believes that Ukrainian troops in the area may attempt to retake the city of Kherson in the coming weeks.
On Thursday, Ukraine claimed to have struck Russia’s Black Sea warship Moskva with two cruise missiles, causing severe damage. The ship later sank as it was being towed to port. Russia claims the damage was caused by ammunition onboard exploding in an unexplained fire.
The 510-crew vessel has led Russia’s naval assault on Ukraine, making it an important symbolic and military target.
North retaken after Russian retreat
Russia abandoned a stalled push towards Kyiv, which had begun in the first days of its invasion, and withdrew its forces from the north of the country.
Successful counterattacks by Ukrainian forces helped retake areas around Kyiv and, as the Russians withdrew, the Ukrainians were able to advance all the way to their northern borders with Belarus and western Russia.
The Russian retreat has allowed a clearer picture to emerge of the huge amount of damage and destruction to lives and towns and villages seized during their push towards the capital, with allegations of war crimes committed by Russian troops.
By David Brown, Bella Hurrell, Dominic Bailey, Mike Hills, Lucy Rodgers, Paul Sargeant, Mark Bryson, Zoe Bartholomew, Sean Willmott, Sana Dionysiou, Joy Roxas, Gerry Fletcher, Jana Tauschinsk, Debie Loizou and Prina Shah.
About these maps
To indicate which parts of Ukraine are under control by Russian troops we are using daily assessments published by the Institute for the Study of War with the American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project.
To show key areas where advances are taking place we are also using daily updates from the UK Ministry of Defence and BBC research.
The situation in Ukraine is fast moving and it is likely there will be times when there have been changes not reflected in the maps.
