Russia and Ukraine spoke of progress in the city of Bakhamout, where fighting has been raging for months, as Germany announced its largest military aid package for Kiev, coinciding with a European visit by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukrainian Army Land Force Commander Oleksandr Sersky said on social media, "Our soldiers are advancing in some areas of the front and the enemy is recording losses in many equipment." "The defensive operation towards Bachmut continues."
Ukraine said on Friday that its forces had retaken parts of the territory around the city, while Moscow confirmed it had repelled an attack along a wide swath of the frontline.
Conflicting reports from the battlefront indicate that fighting is intensifying after months of relative stability.
For its part, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed in a statement on Saturday that it is advancing inside Pakhmut, and took control of a neighborhood in the northwestern part of the city.
Russian forces control about 95 percent of the city, which is now suffering widespread destruction.
The battle of Bachmut is the longest and bloodiest since the start of the Russian offensive on Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
In the context, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday that Ukrainian planes bombed two industrial sites in the Russian-controlled city of Lugansk in eastern Ukraine, with long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles obtained from Britain.
Britain on Thursday became the first country to say it had started supplying Kiev with long-range cruise missiles, which would enable it to hit Russian forces and supply depots far from the front lines, as Kiev prepares for a major counterattack.
British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the missiles could be used inside Ukrainian territory, meaning he had received assurances from Kiev that they would not be used to attack targets within Russia's internationally recognized borders.
Russia's defence ministry said the missiles hit a polymer production plant and a processed meat plant in Lugansk on Friday.
"British-provided Storm Shadow air-to-air missiles for the Kiev regime were used in the strike, contrary to London's statements that these weapons would not be used against civilian targets," the ministry said.
Germany announced on Saturday it would provide Ukraine with 2.7 billion euros ($2.97 billion) in new military aid.
The largest military aid package to date includes 30 Leopard 1 tanks, 1 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, 20 Gepard anti-aircraft tanks, and about 15 armored vehicles, according to the German newspaper Der Spiegel.
Germany has increased its military support for Ukraine in recent months after pressure from the United States and other allies, and is currently the country's third-largest arms supplier.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak welcomed the new German assistance, saying it "directly shows that (...) Russia is doomed to defeat."
Kiev is demanding more support, especially as it prepares for a counteroffensive to retake territory held by Russian forces.
Zelensky in Italy
Italian President Sergio Mattarella on Saturday told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky that his country fully supports Kiev until a just peace is achieved.
Mattarella, who received Zelensky at Rome's Quirinal Palace, stressed Italy's full support for Ukraine in terms of military, financial, humanitarian and reconstruction aid, both in the short and long term, according to the Italian news agency ANSA.
Zelenskiy arrived Saturday afternoon at the Vatican, where he was received by Pope Francesco. Pope Zelensky was previously received at the Vatican in February 2020.
A German government source also confirmed to AFP that Zelenskiy's next stop would be Berlin, confirming press leaks.
The program of the visit has not yet been revealed, but leaks suggest meetings with officials led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
For his part, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Saturday urged member states to speed up the delivery of military equipment to Ukraine and provide it with long-range weapons to counter Russian strikes.
Borrell said after meeting Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Stockholm: "Ukrainians need specific things. The Russians are targeting them from long distances, so they have to be able to reach the same distance, the same distance."