Ukraine says forces closer to recapturing key eastern city of Kreminna

Ukrainian forces appear to have edged closer to recapturing the key-Russian controlled city of Kreminna in Luhansk province as heavy fighting continued in the east and south of the country.

The regional governor of Luhansk, Serhiy Haidai, said fighters in part of the city controlled by Russian command were forced to retreat to Rubizhne, a town a few miles to the south-east, as a result of Ukrainian military pressure.

The Guardian could not independently confirm the battlefield developments.

Recapturing Kreminna and nearby Svatove could open the way for Kyiv to launch an offensive on Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk, two cities Ukraine lost in the summer.

The fierce fighting continues amid no sign of imminent peace talks.

Russian soldiers, alongside fighters from the Wagner private military group, have been trying to seize Bakhmut since July, after reaching the outskirts of the city.

In a video published on Monday and purportedly filmed near Bakhmut that will further fuel speculations over tensions within the Russian forces, two apparent Wagner soldiers are seen insulting the chief of general staff, Valery Gerasimov.

The Guardian could not independently verify the footage, but when asked about the video by Russian journalists, Prigozhin appeared to express his approval for the actions of the soldiers, saying he travelled to Bakhmut to meet them.

Since the start of the war, a number of military targets, including oil and weapon depots have been damaged after catching fire. Kyiv does not publicly admit to attacks inside Russia but has previously cheered such incidents as payback.