EU foreign ministers discussed jointly procuring ammunition to provide to Ukraine during a meeting in Brussels. “It is the most urgent issue. If we fail on that, the result of the war is in danger”, the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said before the meeting.

Russia claimed its forces have taken control of a village near Bakhmut, the eastern Ukrainian city home to the longest-running battle of Moscow’s offensive. The Russian defence ministry said that volunteer fighters had “fully liberated” the settlement of Paraskoviivka with the support of regular forces, including paratroopers and artillery. The statement did not mention Russia’s mercenary group Wagner which claimed to have captured village on Friday.

The head of the Russian mercenary Wagner group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has acknowledged a “major problem” with ammunition supplies for his fighters, accusing Russian officials of deliberately denying his fighters sufficient ammunition. In an emotional audio message published on his Telegram, he said he was required to “apologise and obey” to someone “high up” who he has a “difficult relationship with” in order to secure ammunition.

Russia probably lacks the reserves to dramatically increase the scale or intensity of its offensive in Luhansk this winter, the Institute for the Study of War has said in its latest intelligence update. The US thinktank added that Russian forces likely secured small gains in the northern suburbs of Bakhmut and in its eastern outskirts.

Russia will claim that Bakhmut has been captured to align with the anniversary, regardless of the reality on the ground, the UK Ministry of Defence has claimed. Russian forces are likely under increasing political pressure as the anniversary of the invasion draws near, the latest British intelligence report says.