Ukrainian soldiers, including specialized attack units armed with Western weapons and trained in NATO tactics, advanced on Russian positions in Zaporizhzhia.

Ukraine's plans for a counteroffensive against Russian occupation remain on track, its deputy defence minister told Reuters on Saturday, despite an "unprecedented" wave of missile and drone attacks across the country in recent weeks.

Russia is struggling to wield its military might ahead of Ukraine’s counteroffensive, says Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown, set to become the chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

Kyiv launched its large-scale counteroffensive, and the Ukrainian military is going to pour everything it has against the Russian defenses. That means using older tanks in unconventional ways.

Vasylivka and Ivanivske and in Paraskoviivka, all near Bakhmut, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said.

Russia's defence minister said on Tuesday his forces had thwarted the first three days of a Ukrainian counter-offensive, alleging that they had killed or wounded more than 3,700 Ukrainian soldiers. Unusually,