Heavy fighting rages in Ukraine’s east, Kyiv’s forces target Russian energy hubs and Russia’s leader ups the ante.

Ukraine's army chief said Thursday that Russian troops are intensifying its attacks on the eastern stronghold of Pokrovsk and that they are strengthening its defences to repel the attacks - but that the military's main priority is to save the lives of its soldiers.

Two people were killed and at least 17 others were injured, including six children, as a result of overnight Russian missile and drone attacks on the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhya.

President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed the situation at the front and the planning of long-range operations with the Commander-in-Chief and the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed Wednesday that Russian troops have surrounded Ukrainian forces in two key eastern cities of Ukraine and offered to negotiate a deal for their surrender. Ukrainian military officials vigorously denied the claim.

Vladimir Putin has announced a successful test of a Poseidon nuclear-powered submarine torpedo which experts have warned is capable of causing a “radioactive tsunami”. The Russian president said the test of the weapon had been a “great success”,

It was supposed to fall more than a year ago, but Pokrovsk is still holding on, even as street fighting has erupted inside the city after Russian troops infiltrated.