Ukraine K2 battalion kills dozens of Russian soldier in brutal battle on Avdiivka frontline

Fighters of the "K-2" battalion of the 54th separate mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stormed the stronghold of the Russian invaders in one of the forest tracts.

Vladimir Putin has threatened Finland and the wider NATO alliance, according to a US war think tank, while Russian paramilitaries based in Ukraine have claimed responsibility for cross-border attacks.

Ukraine says its military maintains a defensive line in the eastern Kharkiv region, despite being outgunned by Russian forces trying to take control of the city of Kupiansk.

Zelenskiy also said the military had proposed mobilizing 450,000-500,000 more Ukrainians into the armed forces, which would mark a dramatic escalation in the war in Kyiv.

Ukraine's Air Force said air defence systems destroyed 18 out of 19 attack drones launched at Kyiv, Odesa, Kherson and other regions of Ukraine. It was not immediately clear how many were destroyed over Kyiv.

Russia continued to batter Ukrainian targets with mortars overnight, with Dnipropetrovsk in the centre, Sumy in the north and Zaporizhzhia in the southeast hit with artillery, local media Ukrinform reports.

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