The Russian Federation continues to suffer considerable losses on the Donetsk front, in particular near Marinka and Avdiivka, to no avail. 

As the latest intelligence update by the UK Ministry of Defence states, over the last seven days, Russia has likely increased its armoured assaults around the Donetsk Oblast town of Mariinka, 20 kilometres south-west of the city of Donetsk. 

Mariinka has been fought over since 2014 and has been largely destroyed by artillery exchanges. It commands the approaches to Donetsk and the key H15 road.

"Russia continues to give a high priority to resourcing operations in the broader Donetsk sector, including the Mariinka and Avdiivka areas, expending significant resources for minimal gains," says the report.

At the end of March, British intelligence reported that Russian forces were suffering significant losses in vehicles while trying to encircle Avdiivka and were not making any significant progress there.