Bakhmut

"Bravery conquers fear," ran one of the campaign's slogans. "Everyone has fears in a war. I do too," a Ukrainian soldier who fought in Bakhmut was quoted as saying.

Zelensky said Russian drone attacks this week, including an assault on shipping infrastructure in the Danube port of Izmail, underscored the need for improved anti-aircraft defenses.

The North Korean weapons were shown by Ukrainian troops operating Soviet-era Grad multiple-launch rocket systems near the destroyed eastern city of Bakhmut.

Ukrainian producers have sharply increased domestic drone production and more than 10,000 drone operators have been already trained with another 10,000 currently receiving training, Fedorov said.

Russian accounts said its forces had repelled Ukrainian attacks in eastern Donetsk region, including around Bakhmut.

Russian accounts from the front line on Tuesday spoke of clashes but referred to a successful defense of areas near Bakhmut.

There were no changes in position to the north of Bakhmut, and Ukrainian forces remained engaged in heavy fighting west of Bakhmut and near Lyman, further north in Donetsk region.

Russia still holds Bakhmut but both sides say fighting in the area is intense, with Ukrainian forces hoping to encircle the city.

The 80th Air Assault Brigade is one of the Ukrainian Army’s oldest formations, and it has been among the most active since the current round of war.

A post on the Wagner affiliated Telegram channel Grey Zone described the Bakhmut sector as "deteriorating" though enemy attacks were being repelled.