The Ukrainian armed forces are converging reinforcements towards Bakhmut, where "tens of thousands of soldiers" from Kiev are setting up a "fierce resistance" and "bloodshed is increasing day by day".
It is the video message from Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner private militia, who plays a leading role in Russian attempts to take over this city in the Ukrainian Donbass.
Meanwhile Colonel Yuri Ignat, spokesman for the Air Force announced that the Ukrainian air defense shot down a Russian drone in the sky above the Kiev region.
Explosions were heard last night in the western part of occupied Crimea: Ukrainian media reported, citing local Telegram channels.
The explosions occurred in Yevpatoria, about 65 km north of Sevastopol, and in the village of Chornomorske.
"Explosions were heard in Chornomorske all night until 5 am... In Chornomorske, windows shook from explosions at 1:54, 2:55 and 4:20," local sources said.
Explosions were also reported in Yevpatoria, one of which was also heard in the northern part of Sevastopol.
An air raid alarm went off this morning in the Mykolaiv region, in southern Ukraine: the governor of the region, Vitaly Kim, announced it on Telegram, as reported by the Guardian.
Russian forces attacked Nikopol district in southern Ukraine eight times last night, Dnipropetrovsk region councilor Mykola Lukashuk said on Telegram, according to the Guardian.
"The Russian army attacked the Nikopol district eight times. Four communities came under enemy heavy artillery fire: Nikopolska, Marganetska, Myrivska and Chervonogrigorivska. Fortunately, there were no casualties," Lukashuk wrote.
Among the targets, a gas line, an electricity grid and a "transport company" were hit.
Ukrainian forces have repulsed more than 85 Russian attacks in the past 24 hours in the directions of Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region and Lyman, Bakhmut, Adviika and Shakhtarsk in Donetsk, the General Staff of the Kyiv Armed Forces said in its daily report of the situation on the battlefield.
This was reported by the Kyiv Independent.
At the same time, the Ukrainian Air Force carried out 11 strikes against Russian bases in the country and the ground forces hit nine bases and an area with a high concentration of Russian military equipment.
Kiev forces also hit two Russian anti-aircraft missile systems, an electronic system (EW) and an ammunition depot.
For its part, in the last 24 hours the Russian military has launched two missiles, 12 air raids - including two with Shahed-136 drones,
