Russia said it was working to repel a Ukrainian drone attack on Toropets, where there's a major military depot, as explosions lit up the night.

The capture of Ukrainsk underscored Russia’s steady advances in the Donetsk region. Ukraine is trying to counter with strikes on Russian military infrastructure.

Over the past few months, Kyiv has grown in confidence and ambition as it has ramped up drone attacks inside Russia. It’s struck as far as 1,800km (1,118 miles) in the past, when a long-range radar was hit in the city of Orsk.