Russia Ukraine war latest updates: Putin ‘to launch fresh ground assault’ after intense shelling

The latest intelligence update from the Ministry of Defence says that Russian forces “continue to make small incremental territorial gains in Donetsk oblast with Russia claiming to have seized control of the town of Hryhorivka.”

It adds that they are also continuing “their assault along the E-40 main supply route towards the cities of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk.”

However they may be experiencing personnel shortages and are having to recruit from prisons, the update suggests.

The British defence ministry has said that Russia is likely maintaining a military edge over Ukraine as its troops continue to reorganise before advancing into another round of heavy assault in the ongoing war.

“Russian forces are likely maintaining military pressure on Ukrainian forces whilst regrouping and reconstituting for further offensives in the near future,” the ministry said in its latest intelligence update.

On the battle lines, the ministry said that Russian troops are continuing to make small incremental territorial gains in Donetsk oblast with Russia claiming to have seized control of the town of Hryhorivka.

“Russian forces also continue their assault along the E-40 main supply route towards the cities of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk,” the ministry said.

However, it added that a shortage of personnel in the Russian Armed Forces’ may be forcing the Russian MOD to turn to non-traditional recruitment.

“This includes recruiting personnel from Russian prisons for the Wagner Private Military Company,” the ministry said.

If true, this move likely indicates difficulties in replacing the significant numbers of Russian casualties, the ministry added.

At least six people have been killed in Russian-held town Nova Kakhovka in southern Kherson after a strike by Ukraine’s armed forces, Moscow-backed officials in the region said.

“There are six people confirmed. And many dozens injured, (with) shrapnel wounds, cuts,” Vladimir Leontyev, head of the Kakhovka District military-civilian administration in the Kherson region, said, reported TASS Russian state news agency.

He added that many are still trapped under the rubble.

“The injured are being taken to the hospital, but many people are blocked in their apartments and houses,” Mr Leontyev said.

Kyiv has not commented on the attack and casualties.

Ukrainian fighters are preparing for renewed aggression from Russia’s ground forces as Moscow prepares to intensify attacks to seize the eastern Donetsk region, officials said on Tuesday.

Shelling across Ukraine has amounted to preparing for an increase in hostilities from Vladimir Putin’s soldiers, Ukraine’s general staff said. Russia is also eyeing to expand and seize control of the entire Donbas region – Ukraine’s industrial heartland.

Russia has carried out 34 airstrikes since Saturday, Volodymyr Zelensky said, adding that 31 people have been killed so far and dozens have been trapped.

An attack by Ukrainian armed forces on Monday evening has caused casualties in Kherson’s Nova Kakhovka, Russian officials said.

Ukraine has claimed that its forces destroyed an ammunition depot in the Russian-held town.

Vladimir Leontyev, head of the Kakhovka District military-civilian administration in the Kherson region said that at least dozens have been injured in the strike, the Russian state news agency TASS reported on Tuesday.

“Unfortunately, there are casualties, a large number of injured, dozens of people were left homeless,” Mr Leontyev was quoted as saying.

The official in the region, originally held by Ukraine before the invasion, said that the injured have been transported to a city and a military hospital.

He added that the attack led to an explosion at warehouses storing fertiliser and damaged other buildings.

Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russian army of launching fresh attacks on Kharkiv in the last 24 hours.

“Kharkiv faced new brutal attacks by the Russian army. Another rocket hit a residential building – one block was completely destroyed. In the morning, the occupiers shelled the Saltivka and Kyiv districts with rocket artillery – five people were killed,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly address.

Other attacks in the besieged country include the Odesa region, Mr Zelensky said, adding that the port city was hit by missiles, and that “extremely violent hostilities continued in the Donetsk region and on the territory of the Luhansk region”.

He added that the rescue workers cleared the debris “all day in the city of Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region”.

“The day before yesterday, Russian terrorists hit two high-rise buildings, and as of now 31 people are known to be killed. Nine were saved,” he said.

The United Nations has said it will monitor the ongoing war in Ukraine for recording violations like killings, injuries, recruitment, rape and other forms of sexual violence against children.

Officials said they will also scrutinise the conflicts in Ethiopia, Mozambique and Africa’s central Sahel region.

These four new conflicts have been added to the exisitng list of 21 conflicts that the UN is already monitoring for violations of the rights of children, secretary-general Antonio Guterres said in his annual report to the Security Council on children and armed conflict on Monday.

The latter conflicts, Mr Guterres said, saw “a high number of grave violations” in 2021.

Protection of children, the top UN leader said, was severely affected by escalating conflicts, the multiplication of armed groups, land mines and improvised explosive devices, explosive weapons in populated areas, intensified humanitarian crises, and violations of humanitarian and human rights law.

Public support for Ukrainian refugees is already waning in Britain, polling suggests, as the war continues to rage.

Polling by YouGov shows that in March, three-quarters of people supported resettling Ukrainians in the UK and 42 per cent thought the figure should be in the tens of thousands “at least”.

But the figures have now dropped to 71 per cent of people supporting resettlement, with 29 per cent wanting to see tens of thousands of refugees welcomed.

The Russian Tennis Federation was quick to claim Elena Rybakina as “our product” on her run to the women’s title at Wimbledon.

They then praised her training program in the country after she won the Venus Rosewater Dish as Wimbledon champion while representing Kazakhstan.

“It’s the Russian school, after all. She played here with us for a long time, and then in Kazakhstan,” Russian Tennis Federation president Shamil Tarpishchev told sports website Championat on Saturday after Rybakina beat Ons Jabeur 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 on Centre Court.