Ukraine war: 'Offensive actions' underway in east, Kyiv says

Ukrainian forces are "shifting to violative actions" successful immoderate areas, the country's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar has said.

Ukrainian subject sources told the BBC that a bid of tiny standard armoured violative operations were nether way.

They did not accidental whether this was the commencement of Ukraine's agelong awaited afloat standard counter-offensive.

Earlier, Russia's defence ministry said it thwarted a large Ukrainian onslaught successful Donetsk.

Ms Malyar described the eastbound metropolis of Bakhmut arsenic the "epicentre of hostilities", and claimed Russian forces were connected the defence determination arsenic good arsenic successful the south.

The commandant of Ukraine's crushed forces, Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, said troops were "moving forward" towards Bakhmut and had destroyed a Russian presumption adjacent the city.

A large Ukrainian counter-offensive has been agelong awaited but Kyiv has already said it would not springiness beforehand informing of its start.

However with Ukraine claiming to person made marginal gains elsewhere connected the beforehand line, determination has been a notable summation successful subject activity.

The latest reports are truthful being seen arsenic a caller motion that the expected Ukrainian propulsion whitethorn person begun.

The Russian defence ministry said Ukraine had besides launched the "large-scale offensive" successful the Donetsk portion connected Sunday utilizing six mechanised and 2 vessel battalions.

It claimed the Ukrainians tried to interruption done Russian defences successful what Kyiv saw arsenic the astir susceptible portion of the beforehand enactment - but that it "did not execute its tasks, it had nary success".

Video of what Russia said was the conflict successful Donetsk showed subject vehicles nether dense occurrence successful fields. Russia claims it killed 300 troops and destroyed 16 tanks.

However Moscow's claims person not been independently verified.

And connected Monday, Ukraine's subject said it had nary accusation astir a large onslaught successful the region.

"We bash not person specified accusation and we bash not remark connected immoderate benignant of fake," a Ukrainian service spokesperson told Reuters.

If the footage of armoured vehicles coming nether dense occurrence is authentic, past it reflects the stiff absorption Ukrainian forces volition look arsenic they effort to liberate much territory.

And if it is not what it seems, it is inactive an effort by Moscow to instrumentality power of the narrative.

There has been a important summation successful Ukrainian messaging connected erstwhile and however their counter-offensive could instrumentality shape.

Ukraine has been readying specified a determination for months. But it has wanted arsenic overmuch clip arsenic imaginable to bid troops and to person subject instrumentality from Western allies.

Officials successful Kyiv person warned against nationalist speculation implicit the offensive, saying it could assistance the enemy.

"Plans emotion silence. There volition beryllium nary announcement of the start," the defence ministry said successful a video posted to Telegram connected Sunday. Its footage featured masked and well-armed troops holding their fingers against their lips.

It volition instrumentality Ukraine clip to execute its extremity of liberating territory taken by Russia arsenic acold backmost arsenic 9 years ago.

And Moscow has had clip to prepare. It means if Ukraine is capable to equine a counter-offensive, it is going to instrumentality a while.

Much is astatine involvement due to the fact that the authorities successful Kyiv needs to amusement the radical of Ukraine - and Western allies - that it tin interruption done Russian lines, extremity the effectual subject deadlock and recapture immoderate of its sovereign territory.

The assertion was made by the Liberty of Russia Legion (FRL), which described the announcement arsenic a associated connection with the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK).

Both groups privation to topple President Vladimir Putin. They reason the full-scale penetration of Ukraine that helium launched successful February past year.

Belgorod's apical official, Vyacheslav Gladkov, replied to accidental helium had agreed to conscionable the men's captors if the soldiers were inactive alive. But the fighters aboriginal said that the politician "had not recovered the courage" to conscionable them and they would manus implicit their captives to Ukraine.

Russia has blamed Ukraine for caller attacks successful its borderline territories, but Kyiv denies being straight involved.

Authorities successful Belgorod said an vigor works was ablaze pursuing a drone onslaught connected Monday morning.

And successful Russia's Kaluga portion - which borders the confederate districts astir Moscow - politician Vladislav Shapsha said 2 drones fell onto a main road. Mr Shapsha said determination had not been an detonation and the country was present cordoned off.

There has been nary autarkic confirmation of either attack, but Moscow says the Belgorod portion has been the regular people of drone attacks from Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelesnky met with UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly successful Kyiv connected Monday.