Moscow’s forces have made near daily advances in eastern Ukraine as they mount attacks in at least seven separate directions.
And Kyiv has warned that up to 25,000 troops have been thrown into the fight for Chasiv Yar, a strategic town west of the Donetsk city of Bakhmut.
Ukrainian forces defending the area, a key position in their defence of the wider Donbas region, complained on Wednesday they are still waiting for fresh ammunition supplies from the US amid intensifying attacks from Russian troops.
Chasiv Yar sits on a hill that offers a natural barrier, helping Kyiv to hold crucial supply lines to the north, as well as the regional capital of Kramatorsk.
Moscow is believed to have ordered its commanders in the area to capture the town by May 9, when the country celebrates Victory Day.