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Ukraine in maps: Tracking the war with Russia Ukraine in maps: Tracking the war with Russia
(7 days later)
Ukraine's long-awaited counter-offensive to retake territory from Russia's occupying forces is continuing. Russia has been targeting Ukraine's port and grain infrastructure as the Ukrainian counter-offensive to retake territory from Russia's occupying forces continues.
Here are the latest developments:Here are the latest developments:
Russia has been launching extensive missile and drone attacks against port and grain infrastructure in southern Ukraine
Moscow blames Ukraine after a key bridge linking Russia to Crimea was damaged on Monday, killing two people
Ukraine's counter-offensive is continuing with advances around the city of Bakhmut, as well as slow progress in the eastern Donetsk and south-eastern Zaporizhzhia regionsUkraine's counter-offensive is continuing with advances around the city of Bakhmut, as well as slow progress in the eastern Donetsk and south-eastern Zaporizhzhia regions
Russia missile and drone attacks again targeted Kyiv, as a Nato summit in Lithuania discussed the West's support for Ukraine Grain facilities targeted
The US decision to supply Ukraine with cluster bombs has sparked controversy among Western allies Russia has pulled out of a deal that ensured safe passage for grain shipments crossing the Black Sea and has since been targeting Ukraine's grain facilities in Odesa and other cities.
Bakhmut fighting continues Ukraine's Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi said recent strikes had destroyed more than 60,000 tonnes of grain and damaged considerable parts of the grain export infrastructure.
Ukraine has continued its counter-offensive operations and says it has taken control of the "main commanding heights" around the eastern city of Bakhmut. The deal agreed in July 2022 between Russia and Ukraine - brokered by Turkey and the UN - allowed cargo ships to sail to and from Ukrainian ports and along a corridor in the Black Sea to export millions of tonnes of grain to the rest of the world.
Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said on Monday this was allowing its forces to keep the entrances and exits of the city and the movement of Russian forces around it "under fire control". It also allowed the Russian navy to check ships for weapons in the Bosphorus Strait, at the entrance to the Black Sea.
The US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) says Ukrainian officials have recently signalled that Ukraine plans to trap Russian forces within the city, and adds it appears that recent Ukrainian operations in the area "have been intended to slowly envelop Russian troops in Bakhmut and on its flanks". Over 32 million tonnes of grain were shipped from Ukraine under the deal and global wheat prices have risen sharply since Russia pulled out of the deal.
What was the Ukraine grain deal?
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would return to the deal if his demands were met - including lifting sanctions on sales of Russian grain and fertiliser and reconnecting Russia's agricultural bank to a global payment system.
However, Russian air strikes on the Black Sea coastal cities have continued, leaving more than 20 people wounded in Odesa and Mykolaiv.
Russia has said it will treat ships heading for Ukrainian ports as potential military targets and the US has accused Russia of laying more sea mines in the approaches to Ukrainian ports.
Crimea bridge attacked
Russia's decision to end the grain deal came after the Kerch Bridge, which allows travel between Russia and Crimea - Ukrainian territory annexed by Russia in 2014 - was damaged in what it described as a "terrorist" attack.
A holidaymaking couple were killed and their daughter was injured in the attack on the bridge on Monday, which Russia blamed on drones launched by Ukraine.
The BBC has not seen any visual evidence to confirm this and Ukraine has not officially said it was responsible - but a source in Ukraine's security service told the BBC Russian service it was behind the attack and that water-based drones were used.
Russia said the bridge had partially reopened on Tuesday and posted clips showing vehicles using a single lane.
The bridge is an important resupply route for Russian forces occupying parts of southern Ukraine and had only fully reopened in February after being damaged in a huge explosion in October 2022.
Ukraine counter-offensive continues
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces have continued their counter-offensive operations on Bakhmut's northern and southern flanks and made gains in some areas.
Most of what is left of the eastern city of Bakhmut - which has endured some of the heaviest fighting of the war - has been under Russian control for several months.Most of what is left of the eastern city of Bakhmut - which has endured some of the heaviest fighting of the war - has been under Russian control for several months.
Mercenaries from the Wagner group were heavily involved in that campaign but the US military now assesses the group is no longer "participating in any significant capacity in support of combat operations in Ukraine" although most Wagner fighters are believed to still be in areas of Russian-occupied Ukraine. The US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Ukrainian forces had advanced west of Andriivka, which is about 10km south west of Bakhmut.
It follows the Wagner group's aborted mutiny on 23 to 24 June that challenged Russia's President Vladimir Putin's authority - and on Friday (14 July) Mr Putin said the group's leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin had rejected an offer for his fighters to serve as a unit in Russia's army. Ukrainian officials said its troops had forced Russian forces to retreat from positions north east of Orikhovo-Vasylivka, about 11km north west of the city.
Ukraine and Russia gains compared Elsewhere on the front line, Ukraine has continued operations in several areas in the eastern Donetsk and south-eastern Zaporizhzhia regions, with officials reporting slow advances in several areas.
Elsewhere on the front line, Ukraine has continued operations in several areas in the eastern Donetsk and south-eastern Zaporizhzhia regions. Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak has repeated that the counter-offensive will be slow and difficult but said it will prevent Russian forces from retaking the initiative on the battlefield.
Using its own data, the ISW has calculated that Ukrainian forces have recaptured about 253 square kilometres of territory since the start of the counter-offensive on 4 June which, it says, is about the same amount of territory as Russian forces have captured in the past six months. Meanwhile, the US has confirmed Ukraine has started to use US-supplied cluster bombs and said they were being used "effectively" on Russian defensive positions and operations.
Missile strikes continue Cluster bombs scatter multiple bomblets and are banned by more than 100 states due to their threat to civilians.
Russia has continued to target Ukrainian cities this week with missile and drone strikes, including attacks for three nights in a row on the capital Kyiv. The US decided to send cluster bombs after Ukraine warned that it was running out of ammunition, but was criticised for doing so by several allies, including the UK.
Ukraine's air force said it had shot down about 20 Iran-made drones over the city's airspace on Thursday, hours after a Nato summit in Lithuania ended.
The two-day summit in Vilnius saw Western support for Ukraine at the top of the agenda.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky used his attendance to push for Ukrainian membership of the alliance, but was told this would only be possible "when allies agree and conditions are met".
This lack of a solid timeframe appeared to anger the Ukrainian president, who called it "absurd". He had earlier said there seemed to be "no readiness" to invite Ukraine to Nato or make it a member.
Cluster bomb controversy
Ahead of the summit, the US confirmed it would be supplying Ukraine with cluster bombs - a controversial weapon banned by more than 100 countries because of the danger they pose to civilians - as part of its latest military aid package worth $800m (£600m).
Cluster bombs typically release lots of smaller bomblets that can kill indiscriminately over a wide area.
The munitions have also caused controversy over their failure rate. Unexploded bomblets can linger on the ground for years and then indiscriminately detonate.
Several allies of the US - including the UK, Canada, New Zealand and Spain - have expressed unease at the decision although Ukraine's defence minister has given assurances the cluster bombs will be used only to break through enemy defence lines, and not in urban areas.
Why is US giving Ukraine 'abhorrent' weapons?
BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says part of the reason Ukraine wants them is that it is running low on artillery shells because it is using them more quickly than its Western allies can replace them.
Some experts say that by using cluster bombs to suppress enemy fire from the trenches, Ukrainian forces could gain precious time to help them clear their way through Russian minefields along the front line.
But others say there is no need for them, arguing that different types of conventional weapons could do the job just as well.
Both Moscow and Kyiv have used cluster bombs during the war.
More than a year of fightingMore than a year of fighting
Russia's invasion began with dozens of missile strikes on cities all over Ukraine before dawn on 24 February 2022.Russia's invasion began with dozens of missile strikes on cities all over Ukraine before dawn on 24 February 2022.
Russian ground troops moved in quickly and within a few weeks were in control of large areas of Ukraine. Russian ground troops moved in quickly and within a few weeks were in control of large areas of Ukraine and had advanced to the suburbs of Kyiv.
They had advanced to the suburbs of Kyiv, and controlled much of the north-east of the country around Sumy.
Russian forces were bombarding Kharkiv, and they had taken territory in the east and south as far as Kherson, and surrounded the port city of Mariupol.Russian forces were bombarding Kharkiv, and they had taken territory in the east and south as far as Kherson, and surrounded the port city of Mariupol.
But, they hit very strong Ukrainian resistance almost everywhere and faced serious logistical problems with poorly motivated Russian troops suffering shortages of food, water and ammunition. But they hit very strong Ukrainian resistance almost everywhere and faced serious logistical problems with poorly motivated Russian troops suffering shortages of food, water and ammunition.
Ukrainian forces were also quick to deploy Western supplied arms such as the Nlaw anti-tank system, which proved highly effective against the Russian advance.Ukrainian forces were also quick to deploy Western supplied arms such as the Nlaw anti-tank system, which proved highly effective against the Russian advance.
More Western arms followed and by October the picture had changed dramatically - having failed to take Kyiv, Russia had withdrawn completely from the north. By October the picture had changed dramatically and having failed to take Kyiv, Russia withdrew completely from the north.
Ukraine had its first major success, pushing Russia back from Kharkiv, and counter-attacking around Kherson and eventually regaining control of the city.
More than a year since the invasion, Ukraine is now hoping its latest counter-offensive can turn the war in its favour.More than a year since the invasion, Ukraine is now hoping its latest counter-offensive can turn the war in its favour.
By David Brown, Bella Hurrell, Dominic Bailey, Mike Hills, Lucy Rodgers, Paul Sargeant, Alison Trowsdale, Tural Ahmedzade, Chris Clayton, Mark Bryson, Zoe Bartholomew, Sean Willmott, Sana Dionysiou, Joy Roxas, Gerry Fletcher, Jana Tauschinsk, Debie Loizou, Simon Martin and Prina Shah.By David Brown, Bella Hurrell, Dominic Bailey, Mike Hills, Lucy Rodgers, Paul Sargeant, Alison Trowsdale, Tural Ahmedzade, Chris Clayton, Mark Bryson, Zoe Bartholomew, Sean Willmott, Sana Dionysiou, Joy Roxas, Gerry Fletcher, Jana Tauschinsk, Debie Loizou, Simon Martin and Prina Shah.
About these mapsAbout these maps
To indicate which parts of Ukraine are under control by Russian troops we are using daily assessments published by the Institute for the Study of War with the American Enterprise Institute's Critical Threats Project. To indicate which parts of Ukraine are under control by Russian troops we are using daily assessments published by the Institute for the Study of War with the American Enterprise Institute's Critical Threats Project. To show key areas where advances are taking place we are also using updates from the UK Ministry of Defence and BBC research.
To show key areas where advances are taking place we are also using updates from the UK Ministry of Defence and BBC research.
The situation in Ukraine is often fast moving and it is likely there will be times when there have been changes not reflected in the maps.The situation in Ukraine is often fast moving and it is likely there will be times when there have been changes not reflected in the maps.
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Russia-Ukraine warRussia-Ukraine war
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