Retains control

Ukraine retains control over "majority of its airspace," UK defense ministry says

From CNN's Hannah Ritchie in Hong Kong

Ukraine has maintained control "over the majority of its airspace" some two months into Russia’s invasion, the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) said in an intelligence update Wednesday.

“Ukraine retains control over the majority of its airspace. Russia has failed to effectively destroy the Ukrainian Air Force or suppress Ukrainian air defenses. Ukraine continues to hold Russian air assets at risk,” the report read. 

According to the assessment, Russia’s air activity is now “primarily focused on southern and eastern Ukraine” to provide support to its ground forces there. Meanwhile, Russia’s access to the “north and west of Ukraine” remains “very limited," said the report.

Addressing civilian deaths in the besieged city of Mariupol, the MOD said it is likely Russian air strikes are "being conducted using unguided free-falling bombs" which "reduce Russia’s ability to effectively discriminate when conducting strikes, increasing the risk of civilian casualties."

Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure and military assets across the country remain ongoing, according to the MOD.