Situation in east Ukraine getting tougher, says Zelensky

The concern connected Ukraine's eastbound beforehand lines is getting tough, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

Ukrainian troops are facing a precise hard concern successful 3 heavy contested towns successful Donetsk - Bakhmut, Vuhledar and Lyman - Mr Zelensky said.

The UK's defence ministry said Ukrainian soldiers are becoming isolated successful embattled Bakhmut.

The caput of Russia's notorious Wagner radical said determination are fierce battles for each thoroughfare successful immoderate areas of the town.

Russian forces person been attempting to prehend power of Bakhmut for months - making it the longest conflict since Russia invaded Ukraine astir a twelvemonth ago.

Taking the country is important to Russia successful furthering its purpose of controlling the full of the Donbas portion successful the country's east. It would besides signify a turnaround successful Russia's fortunes aft it mislaid crushed successful Ukraine during caller months.

Despite the travel of Western weapons to Ukraine, Russia has made gains astir the Bakhmut country successful caller days, arsenic Russia's service throws much and much soldiers into combat.

Speaking during his nightly address, President Zelensky said: "During the 346 days of this war, I often had to accidental that the concern astatine the beforehand was tough. And that the concern is getting tougher.

"Now is that clip again. A clip erstwhile the occupier throws much and much of its forces to interruption our defences."

The UK's Ministry of Defence said Ukrainian forces successful Bakhmut are getting progressively isolated arsenic the Russians proceed to marque tiny advances successful its effort to encircle the town.

It added that the 2 main roads into Bakhmut were apt being threatened by nonstop fire.

Russia's paramilitary mercenary radical Wagner person led overmuch of the warring successful the area.

The caput of the force, Yevgeny Prigozhin, confirmed that determination are "fierce battles for each street, each house, each stairwell" successful bluish parts of Bakhmut.

Responding to reports that Ukrainian forces had retreated from the town, helium said this is not the lawsuit and Ukrainian soldiers are "fighting to the last".

The battles connected the beforehand enactment travel arsenic much missiles deed parts of eastbound Ukraine.

In the north-eastern metropolis of Kharkiv, 5 radical were wounded aft strikes deed civilian buildings successful the city, the caput of the Kharkiv determination medication Oleg Sinegubov said.

Five others were injured successful the Donetsk portion during rocket attacks, Pavlo Kyrylenko, caput of Donetsk's determination medication said.

Four others were killed successful the Donetsk portion a time earlier, helium said.

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