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Recent reports of the war in Ukraine have focused on east Ukraine, where several locations are under intense bombardment, particularly in Severodonetsk. Taking the city is one of Russia's key aims as it would mean they control almost all of the Luhansk region, and they currently occupy all of the residential areas of the city, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

However, Mike Martin, from the Department of War Studies, at King's College London, argues that we should be looking at the bigger picture and taking note of Ukrainian activity in the south, where the Ukrainians have been making significant progress. He says Ukrainian forces are advancing close to Kherson - a city that is currently held by Russians but "the only toe hold the Russians have north and west of the Dnieper River" . He suggests that if the Ukrainians can push the Russians away from Kherson, to the other side of the Dnieper River, then "Ukraine becomes much more defendable".

Photo: A Ukrainian serviceman in a trench on a position held by the Ukrainian army between southern cities of Mykolaiv and Kherson on June 12, 2022 Credit: Getty Images