As Russia refocuses its war goals on Ukraine’s eastern provinces after failing to take the capital, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned the battle over the breakaway Donbas region will be crucial.

In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, he said: “If our forces in Donbas won’t be able to hold their positions, then the risk of a repeated offensive against Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast [province] is almost probable.”

Russia recently scaled back its attacks after failing to take the Ukrainian capital. It had claimed that the first phase of its “military operation” was mostly complete and that it was focusing on completely “liberating” eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region.