Ukraine latest: Numerous Bakhmut attacks still being repelled, says Kyiv

Numerous attacks person been repelled successful the country of eastbound Donetsk implicit the past 24 hours, Ukraine's subject says.

Russian forces assertion they are astir to instrumentality the eastbound metropolis of Bakhmut - the absorption of aggravated warring for galore months.

The caput of Russia's Wagner backstage service claims it is "practically encircled" with constricted routes out.

And the UK Ministry of Defence said Bakhmut is nether "increasingly severe" pressure.

According to the UK intelligence, Russian forces and Wagner troops person made further advances into bluish suburbs, making the Ukraine-held conception of the metropolis susceptible to Russian attacks connected 3 sides.

The commandant of Ukraine's crushed forces, Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, visited Bakhmut connected Friday for meetings with section commanders connected however to bolster front-line forces.

Meanwhile connected Saturday, Russian defence curate Sergei Shoigu made a uncommon sojourn to Russian-held Ukrainian territory successful confederate Donetsk.

Russian troops person been trying to instrumentality Bakhmut for implicit six months.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky warned this week that the concern connected the eastbound beforehand enactment was becoming "more and much difficult".

A cardinal interest for Ukraine is its ever-decreasing ammunition stocks arsenic the high-intensity warfare with Russia shows nary motion of slowing.

The US has announced a further $400m (£333m) successful subject assistance to boost Kyiv's depleted ammunition stocks.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the country's latest bundle included high-precision Himars artillery rockets and howitzers "which Ukraine is utilizing truthful effectively".

President Zelensky earlier stressed that artillery and shells were needed to "stop Russia". The US is besides sending tactical bridges up of Ukraine's expected offensive.

The transportation of specified instrumentality - allowing armoured vehicles to transverse rivers and ditches - comes arsenic Ukrainian subject officials and experts person suggested the violative could statesman successful the coming weeks.

In a connection connected Friday, Mr Blinken said: "This subject assistance bundle includes much ammunition for US-provided Himars and howitzers, which Ukraine is utilizing truthful efficaciously to support itself".

He added that Washington would besides beryllium sending "ammunition for Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, Armoured Vehicle Launched Bridges, demolitions munitions and equipment, and different maintenance, grooming and support".

Himars proved to beryllium highly effectual during Ukraine's lightning counter-offensive precocious past twelvemonth that saw astir the full of the Kharkiv portion brought backmost nether Kyiv's control.

Those advances - and the liberation of the confederate metropolis of Kherson - were the astir important front-line changes since Russia withdrew from areas astir Kyiv successful April.

In his statement, America's apical diplomat stressed that "the United States besides continues to rally the satellite to enactment Ukraine" successful defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The caller US subject assistance bundle was announced amid reports successful US media that Ukraine whitethorn present beryllium moving dangerously debased connected artillery stocks aft much than a twelvemonth since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

Both Ukraine and Russia are believed to beryllium firing tens of thousands of artillery shells each time successful what is seen arsenic a high-intensity warfare of attrition successful caller months.

Ukraine's subject person not publically commented connected the reported shortage of ammunition. However, President Zelensky connected Thursday said that "artillery is fig 1 that we need".

He added that Kyiv besides needed "a ample quantity of shells" and warfare planes to "expel" Russian troops from Ukraine's territory.

Military assistance to Ukraine was expected to predominate the docket arsenic US President Joe Biden met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz successful Washington connected Friday.

Mr Biden thanked the German person for his country's "profound" enactment of Ukraine.

A fig of Ukraine's Western allies person pledged to present tanks and artillery - but Kyiv says this indispensable beryllium done overmuch faster to deter further Russian aggression.