Russia and Ukraine have made competing claims about who is gaining ground, as Russian strikes keep hitting Ukrainian cities and U.S.-backed talks in Turkey were postponed. A Ukrainian general said Kyiv's forces push Russians back in parts of the Dnipropetrovsk region. Another Ukrainian officer tells the AP that troops have advanced more than 6 miles, while Russia's leader said his army expanded gains in the Donbas. There was no independent verification of either side's claims. Meanwhile, Russian glide bombs hit Sloviansk and killed four people and drone attacks wounded more civilians, a Ukrainian official said Tuesday.

A shortage of infantry troops and supply routes under Russian drone attacks have dealt a blow to Ukrainian forces around the strategic eastern city of Pokrovsk. The crucial supply hub lies at the confluence of highways leading to key cities in the Donetsk region. Ukrainian commanders say they do not have enough reserves to sustain defense lines and new recruits are unprepared and sometimes abandon positions. Heavy fog in recent days prevented Ukrainians from effectively using surveillance drones, allowing Russian troops to control dominant heights and take more territory.