Explosions have been reported in Ukraine’s capital as South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and other African leaders were in Kyiv to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky as part of a peace initiative. The leaders are due to head to Moscow and meet Vladimir Putin on Saturday, writes The Guardian.

Kyiv’s mayor reported an explosion in the Podilskyi district of the city, while an air alert was declared across much of Ukraine after reports of Kalbr-style cruise missiles being launched from Russia’s Black Sea fleet. According to information provided by the Ukrainian air force, the city’s defences shot down 6 Kinzhal ballistic missiles, 6 Kalibr cruise missiles and 2 reconnaissance drones.

Kherson’s regional authority has said that 1,649 houses in 17 settlements on the right bank of the Dnipro remain flooded after the collapse of the Kakhovka dam. They also claim that 17 settlements remain flooded on the opposite bank, which is occupied by Russian forces.

Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi has posted a video which claims to show Ukrainian forces taking out Russian positions near Bakhmut. In a short message on Telegram, the commander of the Ukrainian ground forces said “The enemy is steadily losing equipment near Bakhmut, our soldiers are knocking the Russians out of their positions”.

Ukraine has regained control of more than 100 sq km of territory in its counteroffensive, senior Ukrainian military commander Brig Gen Oleksii Hromov has claimed. The deputy defence minister, Hanna Maliar, said there was a “gradual but steady advance” but that Russian forces were putting up “powerful resistance” on the southern front.