Ukraine war live updates: Russian forces likely suffering from 'weakened morale', UK says
Many Russian military units are "likely suffering from weakened morale", the UK said in its latest defence intelligence update, stating that Russia has been forced to "merge and redeploy depleted and disparate units".
The Kremlin is seeking to capture Ukraine's eastern Donbas region but the US has warned that the offensive is going slower than planned.
The mayor of Mariupol meanwhile said trapped civilians are "begging to get saved" from a vast Soviet-era steel complex which is the last holdout of Ukrainian forces in the southern port city.
**Read more about the latest updates on the war in Ukraine in the blog below:**
Many Russian forces are "likely suffering from weakened morale," the UK defence ministry said.
The mayor of Mariupol says civilians are "begging to get saved" from a steel mill in the city where they've been trapped for weeks amid ongoing Russian bombardment.
Ukrainian forces are cracking down on people accused of helping Russian troops. In the Kharkiv region alone, nearly 400 have been detained.
The Russian Central Bank said Russia’s economy is expected to contract by up to 10% this year, and the outlook is “extremely uncertain.”
Russia is facing "considerable challenges" as it continues its offensive in eastern Ukraine, according to the UK defence ministry.The Kremlin has been "forced to merge and redeploy depleted and disparate units from the failed advances in north-east Ukraine," the ministry said in its latest defence intelligence update.The UK defence ministry added that many of these troops are "likely suffering from weakened morale."
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