The Latest Breaking News from Kyiv

The Kremlin on Tuesday accused Kyiv of sabotaging the Kakhovka hydro-electric dam in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine to cut off a key source of water for Crimea and distract attention from a "faltering" counter-offensive against Russian forces.

The western Russian region of Belgorod that borders Ukraine has been shelled and attacked by drones hundreds of times.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that U.S.-built F-16 fighter jets can "accommodate" nuclear weapons and warned that supplying Kyiv with them will escalate the conflict further.

Russia launched a new wave of overnight air strikes on Kyiv, with officials at the Ukrainian capital saying that air defence systems downed more than 20 cruise missiles on their approach.

Kyiv has kept silent on start of counteroffensive despite speculation by analysts that campaign is getting under way.

Moscow said on Tuesday it had thwarted another major offensive by Ukraine in Donetsk, destroying military equipment and inflicting huge personnel losses, a statement that the powerful head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group dismissed as "absurd science fiction."

Ukraine has enough weapons to begin its counter-offensive against Russia, and the operation will give the country the victory it needs to join NATO, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told Reuters on Monday.

Kyiv plays coy about start of push to retake its territory from Russia, but denies Moscow’s claims to have repelled assaults

Russian forces driven back in at least two areas as Zelenskiy hails advances by his country’s ‘warriors’