Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the coming months of the war could be more active, as Moscow holds talks with International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi to come up with a plan for a safe zone around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.

Zelensky noted that his administration is doing its utmost to ensure that the support provided to his country is more effective.

Ukraine acknowledged that Russia had made some gains inside the eastern city of Pakhmut, while insisting on Thursday that it was inflicting more losses on Russian attackers than its forces in defending the city.

Bakhmut, a small mining town, has become the site of Europe's deadliest infantry battles since World War II, with Russian forces seeking their first victory since mid-2022 in a massive winter offensive.

Ukraine has been on the defensive for nearly five months but says it plans to launch a counteroffensive soon.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a report late on Wednesday: "The enemy forces have achieved a degree of success in their movements aimed at storming the city of Bakhmut." "Our defenders control the city and repel many enemy attacks."


Slow progress

Russian forces have been slowly advancing inside Bakhmaut in weeks of fierce street fighting. A month ago, it appeared that Kiev would likely abandon the city but decided to stay and fight for it in the hope of breaking the attackers' power.

Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said on social media that casualties were inevitable but that "enemy losses are many times greater".

Ukrainian army spokesman Serhiy Chervaty told state television: "Pakhmut remains the centre of military activity. The situation there is still hot."

In contrast, the founder of the Russian Wagner Group said that the battle for the city of Bakhmut destroyed the Ukrainian army, although it caused severe damage to its forces.

The Russian military site Rebar announced that the Wagner militia was continuing its offensive operations to control the northwest of Pakhmot.

He added that fierce battles are currently taking place within the Orikhovo-Vasilyovka region, and in the vicinity of the Bogdanovka region, noting that Wagner is bombing Ukrainian positions in the city of Chasov Yar, west of the city, and it continues to advance within the central neighborhoods in the city of Bakhmut and that it has already taken control of a number of them.


Safe area

In a parallel context, the pro-Russian authorities in Donetsk reported that 3 civilians were injured in Ukrainian shelling on the city of Yasinovatoye, north of Donetsk.

Pro-Russian authorities said that Ukrainian forces shelled 4 residential neighborhoods in Donetsk last day with about 70 shells, causing material damage to a number of residential buildings.

Russian Assistant Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Thursday that Moscow was still in talks with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to come up with a plan for a safe zone around the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant.

RIA quoted Ryabkov as saying the idea was "in the making", while Interfax said Ryabkov said Moscow was "in constant contacts" with Grossi.