Ukrainian president calls for more weapons from allies to fight Russia. Ukraine has lifted its foot off the accelerator of the major counteroffensive it has been announcing for months.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that carrying out such a military operation at this time would pay a high price in human lives. The Russian Defense Ministry denied that Ukrainian forces had managed to break its defensive lines, after several Russian military bloggers alleged on their Telegram channels that Kiev troops had advanced north and south of the city of Bakhmut.