Russians shift elite units to new battleground in Ukraine

A firefighter sits on a swing next to a building destroyed by a Russian bomb in Chernihiv (Emilio Morenatti/AP)

Russia has shifted a dozen crack units from the shattered port of Mariupol to eastern Ukraine and pounded away at cities across the region, Ukrainian authorities said, as the two sides hurtle towards what could be a major battle for control of the country’s industrial heartland.

Meanwhile, Russia reported that one serviceman was killed and 27 others were left missing after the fire on board the warship Moskva, which sank a week ago following what the Ukrainians boasted was a missile attack.