Bloody battles rage on in Bakhmut as Ukraine's military defends troops.

Ukrainian forces are engaged in "unprecedented bloody battles" in Bakhmut, as Russia continues its offensive in the embattled eastern city. Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council secretary, Oleksiy Danilov, said that the country will launch its counteroffensive against Russian troops when it's ready, adding that it's only a matter of time before the country achieves the necessary level of military preparedness to do so. The death toll from Russian missile strikes on the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk rose to 13 on Sunday.