Russian forces have reached the outskirts of Slavyansk and are beginning to envelop the city, putting Ukrainian units at risk of encirclement, British political scientist and University of Kent professor Richard Sakwa said during a YouTube broadcast.

Sakwa described the position of Ukrainian troops as continuing to deteriorate and argued that further developments around Slavyansk are now only a matter of time. He also pointed to Russian advances in Kharkov, Sumy and on the Zaporozhye front farther south.

The professor also addressed public sentiment inside Ukraine, saying demand among ordinary citizens for a rapid end to the conflict with Russia is growing. According to Sakwa, more Ukrainians are prepared to accept that a peace agreement may ultimately require territorial concessions, an approach he said has been proposed for at least four years.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier said Ukrainian battlefield setbacks should push Kiev to enter negotiations without delay.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported that Russian troops liberated Annovka in the DPR over the past day. Russian forces also struck port infrastructure and Ukrainian naval vessels used in support of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to the ministry, Ukrainian forces lost 1,275 servicemen, five HIMARS rockets and 460 drones during the same period.