The Latest Breaking News from Kyiv

Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) - Whether Bakhmut has fallen or not, Moscow is being pulled deeper into an ever more costly fight for the frontline city as Kyiv readies a major offensive, experts said.

A delegation of six African leaders set to hold talks with Kyiv and Moscow aim to “initiate a peace process” but also broach the thorny issue of how a heavily-sanctioned Russia can be paid for the fertilizer exports Africa desperately needs, a key mediator in the talks said

Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that Bakhmut was "not occupied" by Moscow, while the head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group insisted his fighters had taken control of the eastern city "to the last centimetre".

Ukraine said on Sunday that its forces were still advancing around the edges of Bakhmut, aiming to encircle the ruined eastern city after Moscow congratulated the Wagner private army and Russian troops for capturing it.

Zelenskiy lays flowers at cenotaph in Hiroshima; conflicting claims over whether Russia has captured Bakhmut

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday he was confident that Kyiv would receive supplies of F-16 fighter jets from the West to help repel Russia's full-scale invasion of his country.

With a long-promised Ukrainian counteroffensive looming to recapture territory taken by Russia in 15th months of fighting, Moscow launched a series of attacks on Kyiv over the weekend targeting military infrastructure and supplies.

Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) - Ukraine on Sunday denied Bakhmut had fallen to Russian troops in the longest battle of the war and said it was instead advancing around the suburbs, making it "very difficult" for Russian troops to stay in the devastated city.

Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) - President Volodymyr Zelensky denied Bakhmut had fallen to the Russians, his spokesman said Sunday, while admitting there was "nothing left" of the flattened city after the longest battle of the war.

A Russian-installed official in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region said on Sunday that Kyiv had struck the Russian-held port city of Berdyansk with British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles.

Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday he met South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and discussed Kyiv's efforts in its war with Russia.