Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Russian Wagner Group, accused Russian regular forces of fleeing their positions near Bachmut. Moscow said that its forces repelled an escalating attack in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine has deployed more than a thousand troops and up to 40 tanks in 26 attempted attacks on a battlefront stretching more than 95 kilometers. Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday that it considered the United Kingdom's decision to supply Ukraine with long-range missiles a "very aggressive" move.