The traditional morning analytical thread from military intelligence on the Twitter account of the British Ministry of Defense:.

Russia took control of most of Severodonetsk. The road to the nearby town of Lysychansk most likely remains under Ukrainian control, but Russian troops, thanks to a strong concentration of artillery, continue their gradual advance, albeit at the cost of significant losses..

In order to consolidate control over the Lugansk region and switch efforts to Donetsk, the Russian army needs to cross the Seversky Donets River, which is a natural barrier. Potential crossings - between Severodonetsk and Lisichansk and in the recently captured Liman.

However, the Ukrainian army most likely continues to control the river bank and blew up the bridges.

It is likely that Russia will need at least a tactical pause to prepare crossings across the river in the face of opposition from the enemy, who prepared defenses in the Donetsk region. This, in turn, threatens to lose the pace that the Russian army has gained over the past week..

Latest Defense Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 2 June 2022 Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t. co/Cgie1d3GJa.