WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Ukraine reports 'particularly fruitful' few days in counteroffensive A Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russian forces has been "particularly fruitful" in the past few days and Ukraine's troops are fulfilling their main tasks, a senior security official said on Tuesday. The comments by Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, were Kyiv's latest positive assessment of the month-old counterattack although Moscow has not acknowledged Ukraine's gains. Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister, Hanna Maliar, also reported gains around the shattered city of Bakhmut despite fierce Russian resistance. Russian forces had captured it in May after 10 months of battles.…

Fighting rages in Sudan's capital as army tries to cut off supply routes Fierce battles broke out on Tuesday across Omdurman, the western part of Sudan's wider capital, as the army tried cut off supply routes used by its paramilitary rivals to bring reinforcements into the city. The army launched air strikes and heavy artillery, and there were ground battles in several parts of Omdurman, witnesses said. The RSF said it had shot down a fighter jet, and residents posted footage that appeared to show pilots ejecting from a plane. There was no immediate comment from the army. Conflict between…

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE Ukraine keeps no secrets from CIA – Zelensky Kiev does not keep “any secrets” from the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), President Vladimir Zelensky has admitted. He made the remarks in an exclusive interview with CNN, aired on Monday, expressing “surprise” that his recent meeting with CIA boss William Burns got into the media limelight. “My communication with the CIA chief should always be behind the scenes. We discuss important things – what Ukraine needs and how Ukraine is prepared to act,” Zelensky stated. Kiev remains in close cooperation with the American spy agency, Zelensky admitted, adding that…

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Ukraine reports Russian attacks in east, progress in south Ukrainian forces are resisting a Russian onslaught in eastern areas of the front and face difficulties in the northeast, but are making progress near the shattered city of Bakhmut and in the south, the deputy defence minister said on Sunday. Russian accounts of the front line said Moscow's forces had repelled Ukrainian attacks near villages ringing Bakhmut and in areas further south, particularly the strategic hilltop town of Vuhlear. They also reported success in containing Ukrainian troops in the northeast. Reuters could not confirm any of the battlefield accounts.…