Russian soldiers control more than half of the Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk, including parts of the centre, British intelligence agencies say.
According to the governor of the Luhansk region, the attackers have taken about 70 percent of the city and Ukrainian troops have partly withdrawn to more defensible positions.
According to the Ukrainian General Staff, the Russians have carried out attacks in northern, eastern and southern neighbourhoods and some units have settled in the centre. Chechens are among the attackers, according to British intelligence.
West of Severodonetsk, near Bakhmut, the Russian army is also carrying out attacks in an attempt to evict Ukrainian defenders from their positions. The aim is to enclose the Ukrainian troops in the area.
