Intense Clashes Erupt in Ukraine's Northeast

Heavy fighting continues in northeast Ukraine, with Ukrainian forces holding their lines and making gains in some areas. Russia claims to have halted Ukrainian forces and shot down three Ukrainian drones attempting to strike Moscow. Ukrainian President Zelenskiy describes the situation as "a good day" at the front, particularly near Bakhmut, where Ukrainian forces are retaking lost ground. Russian forces launched night-time air attacks, hitting a non-residential building in Kharkiv. The death toll from a Russian strike on a school in Sumy has risen to two. Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister reports that Russian forces are trying to drive them out of elevated positions in the northeast, diverting their forces from the successful offensive in Bakhmut. Fierce fighting has also occurred in Kupiansk and Lyman. Ukraine has recaptured some territory in the south but faces challenges from entrenched Russian positions and mines. The battlefield accounts cannot be independently verified.