The Latest Breaking News from Kharkiv

Fate of Ukrainian soldiers unclear after evacuation from Mariupol; peace talks stall between Russia and Ukraine

Defending troops are driving Russian forces back in a new counter-offensive as it emerged that Moscow has lost a third of its ground forces in just 82 days since the invasion started

The battle for Ukraine’s second city is near its end, but suburbs are still under attack as Putin’s forces make a fighting withdrawal

Ukrainian forces have pushed back Russian troops near the country's second-largest city of Kharkiv to within 3 to 4 kilometers (1.9-2.5 miles) of the Russian border, a senior U.S. defense official said on Monday.

Reported development comes as western sources speak of loss of Russian momentum in eastern Ukraine

If confirmed, it would suggest a counteroffensive by Ukrainian soldiers is having increasing success against Russia.

Ukrainian troops are pushing Russian forces away from the country's second-largest city. That's allowing residents to move out of shelters, assess damage and try to resume something of a normal life.

Russia on Monday said its forces had shot down three Ukrainian fighter jets, one near Snake Island in the Black Sea and the others in the Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions, while its missiles continued to pound targets in the east of the country.

Its military bogged down in a grinding conflict in eastern Ukraine, Russia lost diplomatic ground over the weekend as two more European nations moved closer to joining NATO. Finland announced Sunday that it was seeking to join the alliance, saying Russia's invasion of Ukraine nearly three months ago had changed…

Ukraine said on Monday troops defending the country's second-largest city, Kharkiv, had repelled Russian forces and advanced as far as the border with Russia.

Ukraine was on Monday preparing for a new Russian push in the eastern Donbas region, as Kyiv said its army's counterattack around the north-eastern city of Kharkiv had gained momentum.