The Ukrainian army is suffering “painful losses” in the eastern Donbas region and other areas of the front line in Ukraine.

So said President Volodymyr Zelensky in his usual late-night video address.

He stressed that Ukraine needed modern anti-missile weapons to defend its territory.

Zelensky also said he was expecting logistics inspections in the military following reports that some Ukrainian servicemen did not have sufficient personal protective equipment.

He said it was vital to protect Donbas, adding that the region was “key in determining who will dominate in the coming weeks”.

“The more losses the enemy suffers there, the less power they will have to continue the aggression,” Zelensky said.

He said that while the fiercest fighting was in Severodonetsk and in all nearby towns and areas, “the losses, unfortunately, are painful – but we have to stay, this is our state.”