Russian forces seek to encircle Ukraine's Severodonetsk, Lyschansk & Rubizhne: UK MoD

The UK Defence Ministry, in the latest intelligence report on the ground situation in Ukraine, has said that Russian forces have increased the intensity of operations in Donbass as it tries to encircle Severodonetsk, Lyschansk, and Rubizhne. The Ministry noted that at present there is a 25-kilometre territory held by Ukrainian forces which segregates the northern and southern axes of the operation. According to the UK Defence Ministry, Ukrainian forces have shown strong resistance with troops capturing defensive positions. 

"Russia has increased the intensity of its operations in the Donbass as it seeks to encircle Severodonetsk, Lyschansk, and Rubizhne," the UK Defence Ministry said in the update.

The UK Defence Ministry said that Ukraine's joint force operation likely retains effective command and control of the front. It further went on to say that Russian forces have been able to achieve localised successes "due in part to concentrating artillery units." The UK Defence Ministry noted that Russia's occupation of the Severodonetsk region would result in the whole of Luhansk getting under their occupation.

According to Britain, the main aim of the Russian operation at present remains to capture Donbass. In the intelligence update, the UK ministry further stated that Russia's lines of communication will extend and its forces will face logistic resupply difficulties if the front lines in Donbass further shift to the west. 

'Coming weeks of the war will be difficult': Zelenskyy 

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his address on Monday, May 23, said that the most difficult fighting situation remains in the Donbass region. According to Zelenskyy, Russian forces have concentrated greater activity in Bakhmut, Popasna, and Severodonetsk.

The Ukrainian president said that Russian forces have launched 1,474 missile strikes on Ukraine since Russia's offensive commenced on February 24. He further stated that Russian forces have launched more than 3,000 airstrikes using aircraft and helicopters. He emphasised that Russian forces have been trying "very hard" to indicate that they have not allegedly given up the captured regions of Kharkiv and Kherson.

Zelenskyy stressed that the "coming weeks of the war will be difficult" and added that they have no other option but to fight and win for their country. In his address, he further informed that Ukrainian representatives in Davos have been working to obtain more financial and humanitarian support for Ukraine.