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More now on our main story that Luhansk's regional head says the Russian army is trying to break through Ukraine's defence line from all directions.

Serhiy Haidai has also said the fierce fighting has brought a halt to evacuation efforts from Severodonetsk, where many civilians are still hiding in shelters, including under the city's big Azot chemical factory.

"It's extremely dangerous" to carry out such operations, he's told Ukrainian TV, urging civilians not to make any attempts whatsoever to leave their shelters.

“All of the Luhansk region [in Ukrainian hands] is being constantly shelled."

On Tuesday, Haidai as many as 15,000 civilians were still in Severodonetsk, which was home to more than 120,000 residents before the war.

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Joe Inwood
BBC News, Kyiv

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In war, terrain matters. High ground offers a better firing position; hills can be used to shield your artillery; rivers offer a natural line of defence – and a point of extreme vulnerability for those trying to cross them.

That last point was demonstrated to dramatic effect a few weeks ago, when Ukrainian artillery wiped out an entire Russian Battalion Tactical Group as it tried to cross the Siverskiy Donets river.

That river, which snakes through the eastern Donbas Region, is now at the centre of events again. It runs just to the west of the city of Severodonetsk, the current focal point of Russia’s offensive.

Ukrainian troops are making what they say is a tactical withdrawal in the direction of the river. Despite the defiant messaging coming from command, it seems unlikely they will be able to hold the city.

If they are to get out as many men and as much equipment as they can, they will need to cross the last remaining bridge over the Siverskiy Donets.

In their daily intelligence update, the British Ministry of Defence, claims “the river line likely still remains controlled by Ukrainian forces, who have destroyed existing bridges”.

For the Ukrainians, getting out of Severodonetsk will present a moment of vulnerability. It will, however, also be an opportunity. Once across, they may try to blow up the bridge, forcing Russian forces into risky pontoon crossings that have proved so costly in the past.

According to the Institute for the Study of War, the Russians may instead “decide to halt their advance at the river, taking the long route round and buying the Ukrainians time".

With game-changing US rocket artillery on the way, time is of the essence.

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The Ministry of Defence in Moscow says its air force has shot down a Ukrainian Sukhoi SU-25 ground attack aircraft in the Mykolaiv region.

According to an update on its Telegram channel, the Russian MoD also claimed to have used "precision air-based missiles" to hit 21 military targets across Ukraine.

Moscow has also claimed to have killed 240 Ukrainian soldiers and destroyed 39 items of military equipment.

The BBC cannot independently verify these reports.

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The situation in Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region "remains difficult because the Russian army is trying to break through our defence line from all directions", regional head Serhiy Haidai has said.

He's told Ukraine's 1+1 TV channel on Thursday morning that the main goal of the Russians was the city of Severodonetsk.

"But they had no success there overnight. They are controlling most of the city – but not the whole of the city” as they claimed earlier, added Haidai.

“Fighting continues, and yesterday our boys carried out counter-attacks, pushing back the enemy on some streets and taking several prisoners.”

Haidai has said Russian troops - who are also trying to push on to Severodonetsk's twin city of Lysychansk - are suffering heavy losses to personnel and armoury losses, but are bringing reinforcements from other battlefields.

He describes the territory still under Ukrainian control – believed to be about 5% of the Luhansk region - as a “fortress”.

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Vitaliy Shevchenko
BBC Monitoring

Russia's National Guard says one of its brigade commanders has been killed in a battle against pro-Ukrainian forces in Donbas.

In a rare admission of a casualty sustained in fighting in Ukraine, it said the clash involved Ben Grant, the son of Helen Grant, the Conservative MP for Maidstone and The Weald.

Last week, the Daily Telegraph published footage, external of what it said was a battle involving Grant reportedly fighting for Ukrainian troops.

The Russian National Guard, also known as Rosgvardia, said Sergeant Adam Bisultanov from its North Caucasus District was killed on 26 May "while saving his comrades performing a fighting task".

In a statement reported by Russian state news agency RIA Novosti it also said: "It later transpired that the National Guard unit was involved in a clash with a group of mercenaries from Great Britain and the US.

"A video of this military clash appeared online on 28 May, and an article was published in The Daily Telegraph. Footage made using a GoPro camera showed the attack and a fighter from the group of mercenaries - the son of a British MP - Ben Grant."

Hundreds of foreign fighters have volunteered to join the International Legion set up by Ukraine, but despite Russia's claims there is no evidence of them doing this for money.

Russian authorities and the media often single the UK out for criticism over its support for Ukraine's military. The Kremlin has also enforced a narrative that Russian forces are not just fighting Ukraine but the West as well.

Investigators have been searching for evidence of alleged Russian war crimes, in apartment blocks in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.

Since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, nearly 15,000 war crimes have been alleged across the country.

War crimes include the use of weapons that cause indiscriminate or appalling suffering, genocide and the abuse of the rights of prisoners of war.

Image source, Kharkiv regional administration

Russian forces overnight shelled the north-eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, killing a woman and wounding a man, regional officials say.

They say a school was also hit in the country's second largest city near the border with Russia.

Separately, Ukraine says at least three people were hurt in the neighbouring Sumy region in Russian airstrikes at about midnight local time. Several houses were destroyed.

Military defeats in both regions in the first few weeks of the war have forced Russian troops to withdraw from a number of towns and villages they initially seized.

Russia has since resorted to shelling key north-eastern Ukrainian cities using its long-range artillery.

French President Emmanuel Macron is one of a number of European leaders who have welcomed a decision by Danish voters to join the EU's defence policy, scrapping a 30-year opt-out. In a referendum yesterday around 67% of voters backed the move.

Denmark was a founder member of Nato but the war in Ukraine has prompted Danes to rethink its overall security policy. Two other Nordic countries, Finland and Sweden, have decided to apply to join Nato in response to the Russian invasion.

Denmark's policy in the EU means it does not participate in EU foreign policy where defence is concerned - and the change will now mean that Copenhagen can take part in missions including in Bosnia and off the coast of Somalia.

President Macron said it was excellent news for Europe and Charles Michel, president of the European Council, also praised the decision.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: "I welcome the strong message of commitment to our common security sent by the Danish people today. I am convinced that both Denmark and the EU will benefit from this decision."

Image source, Slovak defence ministry

Slovakia will deliver eight self-propelled Zuzana 2 Howitzers to Ukraine, the defence ministry in Bratislava has said.

Slovakia has already provided Ukraine with military material worth €153m (£130).

The Zuzana 2 howitzer, a modernised version of an older model, uses 155-mm rounds and has an effective range of 40-50km (25-30 miles) depending on the ammunition type.

The deal is under a commercial contract which a state-controlled producer signed, the ministry said.

Jaroslav Lukiv

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Severodonetsk and Lysychansk - the twin cities on either side of the Siverskyi Donets river - are the easternmost cities still in Ukrainian hands.

Lysychansk is on the right bank of the river, which serves as a natural barrier so far halting the Russian advance.

Russia already controls most of Severodanetsk, where fierce street fighting has been raging for days. Ukrainian officials have not ruled out withdrawing from the city to the more-strategically positioned Lysychansk.

If Russian forces seize the two cities, they would then control all of the eastern Luhansk region.

After a series of military defeats in the first few weeks of the war around the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and in the north-east, Russia declared it would then focus on capturing Luhansk and the neighbouring Donetsk region - collectively known as Donbas.

Paul Adams
BBC Diplomatic correspondent

Image source, Reuters

With Russian forces making slow, grinding progress in the eastern Donbas region and military experts speaking of a long war of attrition, have cracks started to appear in the West's support for Ukraine?

As he directs the fighting from the gleaming white halls of the Kremlin, what does Vladimir Putin make of the swirling Western debates over how best to support Ukraine, and the extent to which Russia should be punished?

In one corner, he sees governments in Britain, Poland and the Baltics calling for his unambiguous defeat.

"We need to make sure that Russia is driven out of Ukraine by the Ukrainians," UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said last week.

"There can't be any compromising over Ukrainian territory."

But in the other corner, Mr Putin sees leaders in France, Germany and Italy calling for a different approach.

Read more from Paul here

In the words of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, the national football team provided their soldiers and their country with two hours of happiness and joy last night.

And Hampden Park in Glasgow was a sea of blue and yellow - as Ukrainian fans were out in force to watch their team stun Scotland and earn a World Cup play-off final against Wales.

Ukraine dominated the game and won 3-1.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

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Chris Partridge
BBC News

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The United States has released more details about the HIMARS advanced rocket system being sent to Ukraine.

Four M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems are part of the package and they will include guided munitions for precision strikes at distances beyond 40 miles (64 km), significantly extending the reach of Ukrainian forces.

The M777 Howitzers the US has already provided have a range of just under 20 miles.

To ensure rapid delivery to Ukraine, the US defence department says it pre-positioned systems in Europe ahead of President Joe Biden’s announcement.

But the Ukrainians will need to be trained to use and maintain the systems and that will take about three weeks. The HIMARS will then have to be moved into Ukraine and to the front line in the east. So it is not a quick solution.

The US weapons package, worth $700 million (£876,000), will also include 1,000 javelin anti-tank missiles, 50 command launch units, 6,000 anti-armour weapons, 15,000 artillery rounds for the M777 howitzers and four Mi-17 helicopters. More weapons are expected too.

"We will continue to closely consult with Ukraine and surge additional available systems and capabilities in support of its defence," said US defence undersecretary Colin Kahl.

Image source, Getty Images

Germany's former chancellor, Angela Merkel, has made her first public speech this year, breaking her silence on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

At an event in Berlin, Mrs Merkel who stepped down at the end of 2021, backed the work of the German government, the EU, US, Nato and others aimed at finding "an end to this barbaric war".

"My solidarity goes to Ukraine, attacked and invaded by Russia, and to supporting its right to self-defence."

Mrs Merkel has been criticised for trying to engage with Russia's Vladimir Putin during her 16-year period in office, especially for agreeing to the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. The pipeline project was finally suspended by her successor Olaf Scholz, two days before the Russian invasion.

Meanwhile, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) says that "Russian forces are attempting to advance towards Lysychansk from the south and west in order to avoid having to fight across the Siverskyi Donets River from Severodonetsk".

But the US think tank adds that "the Russians are having limited successes so far".

Local Ukrainian officials have repeatedly said in the past few days that Lysychansk is firmly in Ukrainian hands.

An overnight attack on Ukraine's western Lviv region has targeted railway infrastructure, leaving five people hurt.

Regional head Maksym Kozytskyi said the attack late on Wednesday night had significantly damaged railway facilities leaving many trains delayed. Nobody was badly hurt, he said.

Two districts were targeted, including Stryi to the south of Lviv city and Sambir to the south-west. The head of Ukrainian railways Oleksandr Kamyshin has denied reports that the Russian missiles hit a key tunnel and said no railway workers had been hurt.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

"Russia has taken control of most of Severodonetsk," the UK's Ministry of Defence says in its latest assessment of the situation around the key battleground city in eastern Ukraine.

The main road into the Severodonetsk pocket "likely remains under Ukrainian control but Russia continues to make steady local gains, enabled by a heavy concentration of artillery," the MoD's Defence Intelligence adds.

"This has not been without cost, and Russian forces have sustained losses in the process."

The assessment adds that crossing the Siverskyi Donets river - which is a natural barrier to its axes of advance - is vital for Russian forces as they secure Luhansk oblast [region] and prepare to switch focus to Donetsk oblast".

Ukrainian officials have admitted that as much as 80% of Severodonetsk is now in Russian hands, as fierce street fighting continues.

Severodonetsk, and its twin city Lysychansk - which for weeks have been under heavy Russian bombardment - are the easternmost biggest cities still in Ukrainian hands.

We are resuming our reporting on the latest updates in Russia's war against Ukraine. Here are the latest developments:

• Street fighting is taking place in Severodonetsk, where 80% of the key industrial city has now fallen to Russian forces, says Luhansk's regional chief
• UK defence intelligence says crossing the river Siverskyi Donets will be vital for the Russian advance to succeed
• Russia has accused the US of "adding fuel to the fire" with a proposed $700m arms package for Ukraine including the advanced HIMARS multiple launch rocket system
• Germany's former chancellor, Angela Merkel, has broken months of silence, condemning Russia's "barbaric war"
• Ukrainians are celebrating a 3-1 victory against Scotland to reach a World Cup play-off final
• President Volodymyr Zelensky has praised the footballers for providing "two hours of happiness" - for Ukraine's soldiers and the entire country.

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Thank you for joining us. Here's a round-up of the biggest developments in the Ukraine war today:

• US President Joe Biden pledged to send more advanced rocket artillery systems to Ukraine. The weapons, long requested by Kyiv, are to help it strike enemy forces more precisely from a longer distance
• Biden announced the move in a guest essay in the New York Times in which he stressed the US would not seek to remove Vladimir Putin from power. The president also indicated he would not pressure Ukraine to cede territory in order to bring an end to the war
• Ukraine's President Zelensky has said his country has "no intention of attacking Russia" and the promised long-range artillery would be used solely for self-defence
• Moscow accused the US of "adding fuel to the fire deliberately" and said it would not encourage Kyiv to resume peace talks
• In Ukraine, the head of the Severodonetsk administration says Ukrainian fighters now only hold around 20% of the city, but are putting up a strong defence of the areas in their control
• Taking Severodonetsk is a key aim for Moscow now. It would mean it controlled almost all of the Luhansk region, one of two areas that make up the eastern Donbas region

Today's editors were Chris Giles, Gareth Evans and Andrew Humphrey. Our writers were Victoria Lindrea, George Wright and Jack Burgess.

The team will be back on Thursday.

Joe Tidy
Cyber-security reporter

Image source, Reuters

The US Cyber Command have conducted “offensive operations” in support of Ukraine, US General Paul Nakasone has told Sky News.

"We've conducted a series of operations across the full spectrum; offensive, defensive, [and] information operations", he said.

The admission is significant as we have known for some time that the UK, US and allies have been quietly helping Ukraine defend itself from the onslaught of cyber-attacks, but they have been careful to paint their support as being purely defensive in order to echo the political messaging we’ve been seeing in the kinetic war.

So it is significant that Nakasone is admitting now that the US has, and is, conducting offensive attacks presumably against Russian targets.

It’s also the first time that the political messaging about the cyber element of the war has fallen out of step with the kinetic one.

Nato countries have been at pains to say that they are only offering defensive aid to Ukraine in case it further escalates things with Russia.

The cyber world now waits to see if this comment from Nakasone changes the way Russia see the ongoing parallel conflict taking place online.