Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has visited the frontline near Bakhmut where fierce fighting rages on.
Ednews reports citing BBC news that the beleaguered city has become a focal point of the war, with Russia trying to capture it for months.
The UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Ukrainian forces recently launched a counter-attack to the west of the city.
Mr Zelensky's visit comes after Russian forces attacked Ukrainian cities overnight, killing at least four people in a drone strike near the capital.
The Ukrainian leader thanked troops around Bakhmut for their defence of the city and country, a statement said.
"I am honoured to be here today," the Ukrainian president told his servicemen, "in the east of our country, in Donbas, and to award our heroes, to thank you, to shake your hands."
Bakhmut lies in ruins. For more than seven months, it has witnessed fierce fighting as Russian forces try to make territorial gains to please the Kremlin.
