Russian partisans launch surprise raid into Belgorod region, Ukraine denies involvement.

Russia claims a "counter-terrorism operation" is ongoing in Belgorod after an attack that it blames on Ukraine, but Kyiv denies involvement. Fighting continues in Bakhmut, with Ukraine claiming to be advancing while Russia is bulking up forces. The head of the Wagner Group says his fighters will soon leave the town of Bakhmut, which they claimed to have captured. A BBC investigation reveals extensive Russian defenses and fortifications ahead of Ukraine's much-awaited counteroffensive. Power has been restored to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine following an outage earlier today that Ukraine's state-owned nuclear energy company blamed on Russian shelling.