Ukrainian intelligence has rejected an offer by Yevgeny Prigozhin, commander of the Russian paramilitary Wagner Group, which has been leading the fiercest fighting in the city of Pakhmut for months, while France has pledged to provide tanks and armored vehicles to the Ukrainian army.

The Washington Post reported on Sunday, citing what it said were leaked U.S. intelligence documents, that Prigozhin offered in early January to reveal the locations of Russian forces to the Ukrainian government, should they withdraw from areas around Pakhmut.

The newspaper said that the offer of Prigozhin, a businessman nicknamed Putin's cook, came through his contacts with the Ukrainian intelligence service, and the newspaper added that Ukraine rejected the offer.

A White House spokesman declined to comment on the report, which was based on classified U.S. documents leaked to the Discord group chat platform.

Prigozhin's criticism comes at a time when Moscow is awaiting a Ukrainian counter-offensive and amid repeated demands from the Wagner leader to supply ammunition to his fighters in Bachmut.

The Wagner commander had threatened to withdraw his forces from the city of Bachmut on the tenth of this month if the Russian Ministry of Defense did not provide them with the ammunition they need, directing bad words to the leaders of the Ministry of Defense in his country.

Gains in Bakhmut

Regarding the development of fighting in this Bakhmut, Kiev said Ukrainian forces had made new gains in the surrounding area.

Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hannah Malyar wrote on Telegram on Sunday: "Our units captured more than 10 enemy positions in the north and south of Pakhmut and cleared a forest area near Ivanievsk from the enemy."

It added that Russian soldiers were captured during the operation, and noted that Ukrainian forces continue to advance "despite all difficulties, this is the moment when one meter equals 10 kilometers in terms of the complexity of the task."

Pakhmut has been under joint offensive by the Russian army and Wagner for months, and the city had a population of 70,<> before the war, but months of fierce fighting has destroyed the bulk of it.

Shelling in Donetsk

Meanwhile, the Russian-controlled city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine came under heavy artillery shelling on Sunday, Russia's state-run TASS news agency reported, citing local authorities.

The city, which lies just behind the front lines in eastern Ukraine, was hit by hundreds of shells from several rocket launchers, TASS said.

Officials in Kiev said on Sunday that the bombing of Donetsk came after Russia fired Iranian-made cruise missiles and Kamikaze suicide drones at Ukrainian targets at night, triggering sirens for airstrikes across the country.

Ukraine's air force said the drones and missiles were launched from aircraft and warships in the Black Sea. The Ukrainian military also said Ukrainian defenses shot down 25 drones, mostly Iranian Shahid models, and three cruise missiles.

French EMX-10RC light tank during previous exercises (Getty Images-File)

French armored vehicles and tanks

Meanwhile, Paris announced on Monday the provision of dozens of armored vehicles and light tanks to the Ukrainian army as well as training soldiers to use them, following French President Emmanuel Macron's meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky at the Elysee Palace.

In a joint statement issued by the two presidents, Macron and Zelensky also called for new sanctions against Russia over its war on Ukraine.

"In the coming weeks, France will train several Ukrainian battalions and equip them with dozens of AMX-10RC armoured vehicles and light tanks," the statement said, adding that Paris "is also focusing its efforts on supporting Ukraine's air defense capabilities."

"With each visit to Paris, Ukraine's defensive and offensive capabilities expand," Zelensky said in a tweet on his way to Villakoblay air base in southwest Paris, adding that "relations with Europe are getting stronger, and pressure on Russia is increasing."

The Ukrainian president arrived Sunday evening at Villakoblay air base on an unannounced visit to France, part of a European tour that has included Italy and Germany so far.