Russia targets anti-missile systems in Ukraine, more control in Donbas

July 8 (UPI) -- The Russian military said on Friday that it's destroyed two Harpoon anti-missile systems that were given to Ukraine by Britain, denying Kyiv an important tool it needs to resist Russian attacks across the war-torn nation.

Moscow said that it destroyed the systems in the southern Odesa region, where Ukraine had mounted an insurgency in some locations that were captured by Russia -- and Russian forces have been targeting grain hangars.

For weeks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pleaded with Western allies to aid in the war effort by providing military equipment and aid. Many countries, including the United States, have given billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine since the fighting began in February.

Russian forces recently have been making key gains in various parts of Ukraine -- particularly in the Donbas, in the eastern sector of the country, where Moscow's military has captured several key cities like Severodonetsk and Mariupol. The Donbas is comprised of two regions, Donetsk and Luhansk.

Serhai Haidai, governor of Luhansk Oblast, said that Severodonetsk is "on the verge of a humanitarian disaster" after Russia destroyed about 80% of the city's infrastructure during the fight for control.

Meanwhile, Kharkiv Gov. Oleh Synyehubov said at least four people were killed in Russian attacks there on Thursday.

Kharkiv is Ukraine's second-largest city and was under Russian attack for more than two months after the war began. The battle ultimately ended in a Ukrainian victory, but Russian forces have continued to target the city.

The British Defense Ministry, which has closely monitored the fighting for four months, said on Friday that Russia is likely concentrating equipment on the front lines near Siversk as forces pause to resupply before an expected offensive in Donetsk.

"Ukrainian forces continue to make gradual advances in the southwestern Kherson sector," the ministry said in a tweet.

"There is a realistic possibility that Russia's immediate tactical objective will be Siversk, as its forces attempt to advance towards its most likely operational goal of the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk urban area."

The Institute for the Study of War, a U.S. defense think tank, confirmed the Russian pause and added that Ukraine's forces have been targeting Russian-controlled railways around Melitopol for counterattacks.

The institute also said that Moscow has created its own ad hoc volunteer units to compensate for personnel losses since the start of the war on Feb. 24. It's estimated that at least 4,600 Ukrainian and allied troops have died since the start of the fighting.

"Russian forces have not ceased active hostilities during this operational pause and are unlikely to do so," the institute said in a statement. "Russian forces still conducted limited ground offensives and air, artillery, and missile strikes across all axes on [Thursday].

"Russian forces will likely continue to confine themselves to small-scale offensive actions as they rebuild forces and set conditions for a more significant offensive in the coming weeks or months."