Vladimir Putin has been forced to deploy Cold War missiles designed to carry nuclear warheads after Russia ran out of precision rockets.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the five-and-a-half-ton missiles, designed to target aircraft carriers, are causing "significant collateral damage and civilian casualties" to Ukraine's forces in the Donbas region.
“When employed in a ground-attack role with a conventional warhead they are highly inaccurate and can, therefore, cause significant collateral damage and civilian casualties,” said the MoD.
It comes as the Russian army concentrates its efforts on capturing the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine remains in control of the Azot chemical plant in Sievierodonetsk, which makes up half of Donbas, where hundreds of civilians are sheltering amid bitter fighting, the region's governor said.
Russian shelling has ignited a fire at the plant after a leak of tonnes of oil, according to the governor, Serhiy Haidai.
Ukraine has around 800 people hiding in bomb shelters underneath the plant, including about 200 employees and 600 local residents, with fears Azot could become another Azovstal – in reference to the siege in the Mariupol steelworks that lasted weeks.
The MoD said that there was now “intense street-to-street fighting” and that “both sides are likely suffering high numbers of casualties”, reports the Telegraph.
Ukraine has appealed for swifter deliveries of heavy weapons from the West to turn the tide of the war, saying Russian forces have at least 10 times more artillery pieces.
The news comes on the back of a Ukrainian artillery strike reportedly killing hundreds of soldiers on June 11.
Footage emerged showing a large ammo store on fire after it was allegedly hit – leaving just one survivor.
Private soldiers from Russia's infamous Wagner Group were reportedly using the sports arena as a base in Kadiivka, eastern Ukraine.
The Wagner Group are considered Putin's private army and have operated across the world. The Russian president is claimed to have used the group to give himself plausible deniability as they are not explicitly tied to the Kremlin.
The 8,000 strong group have been accused of killing children, raping and torturing women and carrying out executions.
It is reported up to 300 mercenaries were killed in the attack in what would be one of the biggest losses of life since the war in Ukraine commenced in in February.
