Ukraine conflict: Ukraine recaptures occupied territory as Russia prepares renewed campaign - MoD

Severodonetsk is a strategically important city in the Donbas region, where Russia has focused its offensive over recent weeks – with the area changing hands in places as the conflict rages on.

Russia have continued to target the area – with fighting in the region thought to be most intense there.

The Ukrainians had claimed a counter-offensive, recapturing half of the centre - but according to reports, they appear to have fallen back as Russia continues to shell the area.

According to the Ministry of Defence, Russia needs some sort of "breakthrough" on one of its axes of attack if it wants to control the whole eastern Donetsk region.

An update from the MoD read: “Over the weekend, Ukrainian forces have recaptured parts of Sieverodonetsk although Russian forces likely continue to occupy eastern districts. Russia’s broader plan likely continues to be to cut off the Sieverodonetsk area from both the north and the south.

“Russia made gains on the southern, Popasna axis through May but its progress in the area has stalled over the last week. Reports of heavy shelling near Izium suggests Russia is preparing to make a renewed effort on the northern axis.

A Ukrainian serviceman gets out of an underground makeshift bunker after a shelling at a field camp near the front line at an undisclosed location in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas on June 6, 2022. (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS / AFP) (Photo by ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images)

“Russia will almost certainly need to achieve a breakthrough on at least one of these axes to translate tactical gains to operational level success and progress towards its political objective of controlling all of Donetsk Oblast.”

On Monday, the The UK Ministry of Defence said in its daily intelligence update that Ukrainian counterattacks in Sieverodonetsk were "likely blunting the operational momentum Russian forces previously gained through concentrating combat units and firepower"

Russian forces previously had been making a string of advances in the city, but Ukrainian fighters have pushed back in recent days.

An official installed by Russia in Ukraine's southern region of Kherson has signalled that Moscow could attempt to stage a vote on annexation to Russia with Kirill Stremousov, the deputy head of the administration saying that "It will most likely be a referendum.”