Battles have intensified on the southern and eastern frontlines between the Russian and Ukrainian armies. Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin has said he seeks to replace his forces with Chechen military units.
Russia announced the downing of a Ukrainian ballistic missile over the Moscow-annexed Crimea in March 2014. Russian military accounts on Telegram reported intensified shelling on the positions of Ukrainian forces in the Oglidhar axis in Donetsk province. The mayor of Ukraine's Melitopol in Zaporizhia called on residents of temporarily occupied areas to stay away from Russian gatherings.