Ukrainian official says every type of weapon in use, including US cluster munitions, as troops push forward
Russia-Ukraine war – latest news updates
Ukrainian forces have stepped up their counteroffensive after two months of gruelling, incremental gains, mounting a new push in the south of the country while edging closer to the fiercely contested eastern city of Bakhmut.
The New York Times cited unnamed Pentagon officials as saying the “main thrust” of the counteroffensive had now begun, with the Ukrainian army pouring thousands of western-trained and equipped reinforcements into a perceived weak spot in Russian defences in the Zaporizhzhia region. However, the Washington Post reported that a US official “expressed caution” in drawing the conclusions that the main counteroffensive has begun. “We are seeing signs of preparatory moves for additional forces in the Zaporizhzhia area to come into the fight. But it’s not clear what the purpose of those moves may be,” the unnamed official was quoted as saying.