The main cities targeted for capture by the enemy are Odesa, Kherson, and Mariupol. The Russian Federation needs them to establish full control over access to the Black Sea and Ukraine's sea lines of communication, according to a British Defense Ministry summary.
At the moment, Russian ground operations are concentrated in eastern Ukraine, but missile strikes are rumbling across the country - a way Russia is trying to prevent Ukraine from resupplying itself.
"The continued targeting of key cities such as Odesa, Kherson and Mariupol underscores Russia's desire to fully control access to the Black Sea, allowing them to control Ukraine's sea lines of communication, which will have a negative impact on the Ukrainian economy," the British Defense Ministry said.
Russian forces continued to strike non-military targets in Ukraine, including schools, hospitals, residential buildings and transportation hubs.
"This demonstrates Russia's willingness to strike civilian infrastructure in an attempt to weaken Ukraine's resolve," the agency concluded.