Ukraine gains ground in Bakhmut battle, Russian forces retreat.

Ukraine claims to have made gains in the city of Bakhmut against Russian forces, while Russia's Wagner Group claims to have advanced in some parts of the city. The area around Bakhmut has been the focus of fighting for months, and Kyiv is using the urban warfare to weaken Russia's front-line defenses before its planned counteroffensive. Meanwhile, Russia has been launching missile and drone attacks on Kyiv and other cities, which have been largely repelled. Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy praised his troops and the country's air defenses, while Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov said Russia's repeated missile attacks on Kyiv were a sign of Moscow's desperation.