Russia-Ukraine war: Ukraine taking significant casualties and making slow progress towards Russian defense, say western officers – as it happened

Jens Stoltenberg, Nato’s secretary general, has said alliance members must ensure Ukraine keeps getting enough arms to pursue its counteroffensive against Russia.

Ukraine is taking significant casualties and making slow progress towards the Russian main line of defence, western officials have admitted in one of the west’s first assessments of the Ukrainian counteroffensive launched on 4 June.

Ukraine reported incremental advances in its counteroffensive against Russian forces on Wednesday, in what the country’s deputy defence minister described as “extremely fierce” fighting. In the past day, Ukrainian troops had advanced 200-500 metres in various areas near the largely devastated eastern city of Bakhmut, and 300-350 metres in the direction of the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, Hanna Maliar said.

UN nuclear chief Rafael Grossi delayed a trip to the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station on Wednesday for security reasons, as heavy fighting raged in southern Ukraine.

The Kremlin said it was concerned by unconfirmed media reports that a senior Chechen commander had been wounded in Ukraine. Earlier on Wednesday, the defence ministry’s TV channel reported that Adam Delimkhanov, head of Chechnya’s national guard, had been injured in Ukraine. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov later claimed that Delimkhanov was alive and well.

Kalibr missiles hit the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa at 2.40am on Wednesday, setting a warehouse, a business centre, an educational institution, restaurants and shops ablaze. It was a one of a number of attacks across the country on Wednesday that left 13 civilians dead and 24 injured.