For months, Bakhmut in the Donetsk region has been at the heart of intense fighting (file photo)
Ukrainian Forces Make Advances in Bakhmut, Says Deputy Defence Minister
According to Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar, Ukrainian forces have made progress in and around Bakhmut, referring to the eastern city as the "epicentre of hostilities."
Maliar did not confirm whether the long-anticipated counter-offensive had commenced.
In a separate development, Russia's military claimed to have repelled a new attack in the eastern Donetsk region on Monday.
Bakhmut has been the site of intense fighting for months. While it holds limited strategic value, it carries symbolic significance for both Kyiv and Moscow.
Claims made by Ukraine and Russia on Monday have yet to be independently verified.
In the early hours of Tuesday, air raid sirens sounded across Ukraine for several hours. Officials in Kyiv reported that all of the more than 20 missiles fired were successfully intercepted.
Maliar reported advances ranging from 200m to 1,600m (656-5,250ft) in Orikhovo-Vasulivka and Paraskoviivka, and between 100m and 700m (330-2,300ft) in Ivanivske and Klishchiivka.
All four villages are located within a few kilometers of Bakhmut, and the battle for the city in the Donetsk region has been the longest and bloodiest of the war.
In a late Monday video address, President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed gratitude to Ukrainian fighters for delivering "the news we are expecting" from the Bakhmut direction.
He stated, "The enemy knows that Ukraine will win."
The Russian paramilitary group Wagner had previously claimed to have captured the city in late May. Analysts have recently speculated that Kyiv's forces are attempting to encircle Bakhmut and trap Russian units. A major Ukrainian counter-offensive has been anticipated for some time, but Kyiv has not announced when it will commence.
There has been an observable increase in military activity, with Ukraine claiming minor gains in other areas along the front line.
These latest reports are seen as a fresh indication that the expected Ukrainian offensive may have begun. Meanwhile, the Russian defense ministry announced on Monday that Ukrainian forces had launched a new attack in Donetsk, which was successfully repelled.
According to state-run media quoting the ministry, the attacking side suffered heavy casualties, and 28 tanks, including eight German-made Leopards, were destroyed. The BBC has not independently verified these claims.
Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the head of Wagner, publicly ridiculed the Russian defense ministry's statement, describing it as a "wild fantasy."
This development comes a day after Moscow alleged that a "large-scale offensive" by Ukraine in the Donetsk region had commenced on Sunday but was unsuccessful. The Ukrainian military stated that it had no information regarding such a major attack in the region.
Video footage presented by Russia, purportedly showing the battle in Donetsk, depicted military vehicles under heavy fire in fields. Russia claimed to have killed 300 troops and destroyed 16 tanks.
"We do not have such information, and we do not comment on any kind of fake," said a Ukrainian army spokesperson in response to the footage.
Ukraine has been signaling an imminent counter-offensive for some time. However, it has been seeking ample time for training its troops and receiving military equipment from Western allies.
According to Reuters, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated that Ukraine now possesses enough weaponry for a counter-offensive but declined to comment on whether it.
