The Latest Breaking News on 6 months inside Ukraine's special forces show how covert missions shape the war behind the frontline

The monthslong battle has led to heavy losses on both sides.

With a long-promised Ukrainian counteroffensive looming to recapture territory taken by Russia in 15th months of fighting, Moscow launched a series of attacks on Kyiv over the weekend targeting military infrastructure and supplies.

Ukraine said on Friday it had repelled attacks by Russian forces trying to recapture land they had lost around the devastated eastern city of Bakhmut, where Kyiv says it has inflicted heavy Russian casualties.

Ukraine said it had repelled a day of Russian attacks in and around the ruined eastern city of Bakhmut on Thursday and made gains of a kilometre in some places while buying time for "certain planned actions".

Ukraine's military and Russia's Wagner private army both reported fresh Russian retreats on the outskirts of Bakhmut, as Kyiv pressed on with its biggest advance for six months ahead of a planned major counteroffensive.

The Ukrainian military and Russia's Wagner private army both reported further Russian retreats around the city of Bakhmut on Thursday, as Kyiv pressed on with its biggest advance for six months ahead of a planned counteroffensive.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, on Thursday accused regular Russian army units of pulling back 570 metres north of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, leaving his own fighters' flanks exposed.

The head of Vladimir Putin’s Wagner Group “private army” on Thursday slammed regular Russian troops for retreating around the eastern town of Bakhmut in Ukraine.

Ukraine's military said it had made new advances on Wednesday in heavy fighting near the eastern city of Bakhmut, and that Russia was continuing to send in new units including paratroopers.