Russian Air Force Suffers Multiple Crashes Near Ukrainian Border.

Italian leaders have pledged to continue aiding Ukraine with military, economic, and humanitarian assistance, while Germany announced a $3 billion military aid package for Kyiv, the biggest since the start of Russia's invasion. Ukrainian President Zelenskiy is due to receive the prestigious Charlemagne Prize in Germany and hold meetings with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Conflicting battlefield claims around the eastern city of Bakhmut have been difficult to independently confirm in recent days, with reports of Ukrainian advances to the south suggesting a coordinated push by Kyiv to encircle Russian forces in the area.