"Russia's Eastward Advances Prompt Kyiv's Call for Western Support"

Russia claims new advances in eastern Ukraine as Kyiv awaits Western support, with Ukrainian forces intensifying attacks on Russian territory and urging the US to unblock a $60 billion aid package. The surge in strikes ahead of Putin's re-election saw 16 people killed and nearly a hundred wounded in the region of Belgorod, prompting the evacuation of thousands of children. Putin vowed to "punish" those involved in the incursions, while Ukrainian forces claim to have destroyed more than two dozen Russian ships since the conflict began in February 2022.