Kathmandu,

July 7,

Ukraine has so far staved off any major Russian advance into the north of its Donetsk region, but pressure is intensifying with heavy shelling on the city of Sloviansk and nearby populated areas, the Ukrainian military said on Wednesday.

Sloviansk, a city in Donetsk that has found itself on the front line as Russian forces advance, has become the focus of Russian aggression in recent days. The British Defense Ministry said the battle for the city will be the “next key contest” for Ukraine.