Russia has lost more than 1,500 soldiers in the past week in the grinding war in Kharkiv even as Vladimir Putin claimed he has “no plans” to take Ukraine’s second largest city.

As of yesterday evening, Russia has lost 1,572 soldiers in just the last seven days and 263 units of military equipment, including 75 drones, 66 army vehicles and eight tanks, Ukraine’s General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said.

In the past 24 hours Russian troops have tried to break through Ukraine’s defences using aircraft and guided aerial bombs, and there have been around a dozen ground skirmishes.

Tens of thousands of Russian forces stormed across the border into the Kharkiv region last month to capture the city. But Mr Putin, speaking in Beijing last week, said his troops have “no plans as of today” to try and take control of Kharkiv city.

This comes as at least 11 people were killed and dozens were wounded after Russian forces struck a busy lakeside resort on the edge of Kharkiv and attacked villages in the surrounding region.