Most of the Ukrainian city of Sieverodonetsk has been seized by Russian forces, UK and Ukrainian sources said on Wednesday.
Luhansk regional governor Serhiy Gaidai said Russian forces are now in control of around 70% of the strategically important city in Ukraine’s Luhansk region.
“Over half of the town is likely now occupied by Russian forces, including Chechen fighters,” the UK Defense Ministry said in a Wednesday morning intelligence update.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the supply of US advanced rocket launchers to Ukraine raised the risks of a “third country” being dragged into the conflict.
Lavrov was responding to a question at a news conference in Saudi Arabia about US plans to provide Ukraine with advanced rocket systems that can strike with precision at long-range Russian targets.