The war with Russia is entering “a protracted phase”, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov has said, as Moscow’s troops are now trying to take full control of the east and south of the country, Al Jazeera reports.

“Russia is preparing for a long-term military operation,” Reznikov told EU defense ministers and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Al Jazeera reports.

“The war is entering a protracted phase,” he added in the speech, the text of which was published on his Facebook page.

According to Reznikov, Russian troops are currently building fortifications in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions in order to “move to defense if necessary”.

In a recent intelligence briefing, the UK defense ministry said that despite Russian troops having circled the port city of Mariupol for more than ten weeks, Ukraine’s stiff resistance delayed them gaining full control of the city.