Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged allies to be speedy in sending more military help as NATO defense ministers met and Russia bombarded the eastern front line in what appeared to be the early salvos of a new offensive.
Much of Russia's artillery fire was focused on Bakhmut, a bombed-out city in Donetsk province and a principal target for President Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian troops there have fortified positions in anticipation of street fighting.
Bakhmut's capture would provide a stepping stone for Russia to advance on two bigger Donetsk cities, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, and give Moscow momentum after months of battlefield setbacks following its invasion last February.