The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has declared his forces will continue defending the embattled city of Bakhmut – as a senior general who’s just visited front line troops said the fighting had reached “the highest level of tension”.

Stocks of fresh ammunition and weapons are running perilously low and the heavy armour promised by Ukraine’s allies is taking time to materialise. Ukrainian soldiers are repairing and repurposing military equipment captured from their Russian foes, but will it be enough?

Ukrainian forces refurbishing Russian weapons as battle for Bakhmut rages on