Ukraine LIVE: Desperate Putin ‘sends inoperable kit back over border’ as new mission fails
Putin wants to 'destroy Ukraine' says Ukraine's top prosecutor
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The latest intelligence update released on Saturday stated that Russian troops made no major gains in the previous 24 hours despite stepping up attacks in eastern Ukraine. Staunch resistance by Ukrainian troops has prevented Russia from taking control of the besieged city of Mariupol, where Vladimir Putin’s troops continue to launch airstrikes.
The latest update said: “Despite increased activity, Russian forces have made no major gains in the last 24 hours as Ukrainian counter-attacks continue to hinder their efforts.
“Russian air and maritime forces have not established control in either domain owing to the effectiveness of Ukraine’s air and sea defence reducing their ability to make progress.”
Russia has also reportedly been sending “inoperable” military equipment back over the border to be repaired after it has been damaged in the fighting, according to intelligence.
Jack Detsch, Foreign Policy’s national security reporter, tweeted: “Russia is STILL being hindered in Ukraine’s Donbas from major losses suffered earlier in the war: UK Defense Intel.
“Russia has resorted to sending inoperable equipment back over the border for repair in an effort to ‘reconstitute’ depleted forces, UK assesses.”
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Russian forces make ‘no major gains’ in past 24 hours
Heavy fighting has continued to rage in the port city of Mariupol, where Ukrainian officials said on Friday they had discovered new mass graves.
The latest UK intelligence update said that Russian forces had made “no major gains” in the last 24 hours due to staunch resistance by Ukrainian forces.
The update read: “Despite their stated conquest of Mariupol, heavy fighting continues to take place frustrating Russian attempts to capture the city thus further slowing their desired progress in the Donbas”.
Russia has revealed the goal of its invasion is to take “full control” of southern Ukraine as well as the eastern Donbas region and establish a land corridor connecting Russia to Crimea, the peninsula it annexed in 2014.
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