Ukraine and Russia: what you need to know

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says the situation on the front lines in the east is getting tougher and Russia is throwing more and more troops into battle.

FIGHTING IN THE EAST

* The head of Russia’s private Wagner militia said on Sunday fierce fighting was ongoing in the northern parts of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, which has been the focus of Russian forces’ attention for weeks.

* Ukrainian forces remained in control of the village of Bilohorivka, the Luhansk region governor Serhiy Haidai said on Sunday, adding the situation there is tense, but under control. Some Moscow-installed officials and pro-Russian military bloggers have recently claimed Russian advances in the direction of Bilohorivka, the last part of Luhansk held by Ukrainian forces.

Reuters could not immediately verify the battlefield accounts.

* Two Russian missiles hit the centre of Kharkiv, the administrative capital of the Kharkiv region in Ukraine’s northeast, with one of the missiles striking a residential building, local officials said on Sunday.

* Ukraine and Russia traded almost 200 prisoners of war in a swap, both sides said on Saturday. The bodies of two British volunteers are also being sent back to Ukraine.

ODESA POWER OUTAGE

* Odesa restored power to critical infrastructure on Saturday after a fire broke out at an overloaded substation, leaving almost 500,000 people in the Ukrainian port city without electricity. The fire was a fresh blow after months of Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid and officials said repairs could take weeks.

DIPLOMACY, ARMS

* British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Zelenskiy agreed on the importance of the international community speeding up assistance for Ukraine, Sunak’s office said after the two leaders spoke on Saturday.

* Zelenskiy revoked the citizenship of several former influential politicians on Saturday in the latest step to “cleanse” Ukraine of pro-Russian influences.

* The United States warned Turkey in recent days about the export to Russia of chemicals, microchips and other products that can be used in Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine and could move to punish Turkish companies or banks contravening sanctions.