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According to the recent intelligence update by the U.K. Defense Ministry, Russia’s capture of the city is a significant achievement within the reduced objective of the invasion, which in April shifted from aiming to occupy the majority of Ukraine to a more focused offensive in the Donbas. “However, it is only one of several challenging objectives Russia will need to achieve to occupy the whole of the Donbas region,” the ministry said. Sievierodonetsk in Luhansk Oblast fell to Russia on June 25, bringing Moscow closer to taking full control of the oblast, 95% of which is already under the control of Russian forces.