Ukraine has recaptured a strategically vital chemical plant in another blow for Vladimir Putin.
The UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Ukrainian forces had seized control of the Volchansky facility in Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region of the country at the end of September.
The plant had been a “Russian stronghold”, allowing Putin’s forces to operate on the Vovcha River, the MoD said in its latest intelligence update on the war.
“Its loss will likely limit opportunities for Russian ground forces (RGF) to advance in Kharkiv oblast,” the MoD said in a post on X.
“It is likely that Ukrainian control of the plant will facilitate further counter offensives in the north of the city to push to RGF back towards the Ukraine-Russian border.”
The MoD said Vovchansk has been fought over by Russian and Ukrainian forces since May.
But Russia was forced to pull forces out of the area in August after Ukraine launched its counter-invasion of Russian territory.
“This has almost certainly reduced the RGF capabilities in the Vovchansk area,” the MoD update said.
The latest setback for Putin comes after Ukrainian drone strikes took out a record amount of Russian ammunition.
It has also emerged that Russia is to massively increase its defence spending as the war, which began in February 2022, continues.
Putin has also called for his army to be expanded, saying he needs 180,000 extra troops.
That would mean Russia had 1.5m active servicemen, and making it the second largest army in the world after China.