The Latest Breaking News from Kharkiv

While Ukraine's counteroffensive this month was hailed as stunning by military observers, Ukrainian troops tell NPR that Russian forces put up stiff resistance in parts of the Kharkiv region.

Ukrainian volunteer Vitalii Kivirenko loads a small rowing boat with tins of food and supplies by the village of Staryi Saltiv, on the Pechenizhske Reservoir, northeast of Kharkiv, ready to make a short trip that was unthinkable just a few weeks ago.

Three explosions were heard, then electricity cut out on Tuesday in Ukraine's second city of Kharkiv, a Reuters witness reported.

The United States warned on Sunday of "catastrophic consequences" if Moscow uses nuclear weapons in Ukraine, after Russia's foreign minister said regions holding widely criticised referendums would get full protection if annexed by Moscow.

Ukrainians in newly liberated Balakliia describe how their occupiers had been plotting the sham referendum on Moscow’s annexation

Seven Sri Lankans held captive by Russian forces in an agricultural factory in eastern Ukraine say they were beaten and tortured for months before escaping on foot as the Russians withdrew from the Kharkiv region

Arrests made in 32 cities at rallies against mobilisation; border crossings from Russia to Finland have doubled and 10km queue reported at frontier with Georgia

Protests after Russia calls up reservists and repeats nuclear threats; ‘referendums’ announced for four occupied regions; and life after liberation

Moscow to ‘use sham votes to further escalate war’, warns Jens Stoltenberg

Ukraine says three more grave sites have been located in areas retaken by Ukrainian forces.

Ukraine launched a major counter-offensive in the Kharkiv region on September 6. This operation surprised Russia and led to the withdrawal of Russian soldiers from several strategic cities in eastern Ukraine, such as Izium. Our reporters Gulliver Cragg and Gwendoline Debono met with Ukrainian soldiers who took part in the…