Ukrainian forces on Friday sought to hold back Russia's advances in and around the strategically important city of Avdiivka. The fighting comes shortly after the Kremlin launched its biggest military offensive in months.
Andriy Yermak, the Ukrainian president's chief of staff, said Ukrainian forces were "holding positions in heavy fighting," while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was grateful to "every warrior and every unit" during intensifying battles. The industrial hub of Avdiivka is regarded as the gateway to Donetsk, the capital of the eastern Donbas region.
Ukraine's state emergency services said one person was killed and 12 others were injured in a Russian attack on Ukraine's eastern city of Pokrovsk.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to meet with world leaders at a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States, an international grouping of former Soviet republics. The event is held in the Kyrgyzstan capital of Bishkek.