Fighting was intense around the northeastern city of Kharkiv on Friday as Ukrainian forces were making relatively steady progress in the region, according to a FRANCE 24 team reporting in the country’s second-largest city. Britain’s Defense Ministry said Russia’s focus on the eastern Donbas has left its remaining troops around Kharkiv vulnerable to counterattack. Follow FRANCE 24’s live blog for all the latest developments. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).