President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday that Ukrainian forces were inflicting heavy losses in a counteroffensive in eastern Donetsk region, the main theatre of the more than 3-1/2 years of war in Ukraine.

Russian regions are dramatically increasing the amount of money they pay to new military recruits as analysts say “ideological” recruitment campaigns are no longer enough to motivate people to fight in Ukraine.

Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine has sparked a demographic crisis in Russia, fueled by military casualties, emigration, and a shrinking population with economic impacts.

A missile ship, a radar station and an oil refinery were among the Russian assets hit in Ukraine’s latest drone attacks, according to Kyiv. The oil facility struck overnight is one of Russia’s largest, as Kyiv continues its attacks on energy infrastructure, causing gasoline shortages across the country.

Russia rained missiles and drones on Ukraine in a mass overnight attack, officials said on Sunday, killing at least five people and damaging civilian infrastructure including energy facilities across numerous regions.

Moscow sent over 50 ballistic missiles and around 500 drones into nine regions across Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday morning.

Russia's heavy bombardment of Ukraine's natural gas infrastructure ahead of winter is set to have a knock-on impact on Europe's energy market as Ukraine draws more fuel from its western neighbours.