Both sides massing 'significant forces' in Zaporizhzhia, says UK

The war in Ukraine is in a state of deadlock, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.

Its daily intelligence update said there is a possibility of Russian advances around the heavily contested city of Bakhmut in the Donbas region, but otherwise, there is little movement.

Russian and Wagner proxy forces have consolidated in the town of Soldier after capturing it earlier this week.

Further south in Zaporizhzhia, both sides have massed “significant forces”, with artillery exchanges and skirmishes taking place, but have avoided any large-scale offensive effort.

Near Kremina in north-east Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s forces have made some small gains and defended against Russian counter-attacks.

Russian attacks in the Donetsk oblast on Friday killed three civilians and injured another four, according to the region’s governor.

Pavlo Kyrylenko reported on Telegram that two were killed in Bakhmut, where heavy fighting has been taking place, and another in Zhelanne, a small town on the outskirts of Donetsk city. Both are in the east of Ukraine.

Where will it all end? The conflict in Ukraine appears further than ever from resolution. Nuclear threats, mass graves, the sense that both sides are “all in”. With correspondents on the ground on both sides of the Ukraine-Russia border, in Kyiv, Moscow, Brussels, and other European capitals, the Guardian is well placed to provide the honest, factual reporting that readers will need to understand this perilous moment for Europe, the former Soviet Union, and the entire world. Free from commercial or political influence, we can report fearlessly on world events and challenge those in power.

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