Russia is building up troops and military equipment along Ukraine’s eastern border ahead of an expected offensive in the Donbas region.
Here are the latest developments:
- Satellite images show new Russian troop build-up on border
- Ukraine is also bolstering its forces in Donetsk and Luhansk
- Russian forces close to capturing southern city of Mariupol
Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, but its forces have now fully withdrawn from around the capital Kyiv and northern Ukraine to Belarus and Russia.
Fighting in eastern Ukraine is expected to intensify in the coming weeks as Russia continues to refocus its efforts there, according to the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD).
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.
Western officials say they expect Russia to substantially increase the number of troops it has in the Donbas, with satellite imagery showing a build-up of forces currently underway on Ukraine’s border.
Russian troops already in the Donbas are continuing to conduct “small-scale” operations but have made limited gains, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
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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.
Pockets of Ukrainian resistance remain but Russian troops now claim to have control of most of the city.
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.
North retaken after Russian retreat
Ukrainian forces have retaken large areas around Kyiv and on their northern borders with Belarus and western Russia after Russian forces withdrew from the area.
The Russian retreat has allowed a clearer picture to emerge of the huge amount of damage and destruction to lives and property in towns and villages seized during their push towards the capital, with allegations of war crimes having been committed by Russian troops.
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.
