[Skybird]

[Focus]
Newsticker, 16:30: Ukraine's counteroffensive has started. Kiev has confirmed this. Since Sunday morning, combat units have been testing the Russian defense lines in the south of the country. Advances in the regions of Zaporizhzhya and Donetsk are verified by "Bild" with recent video footage from drones. There, Ukrainian forces advanced up to 500 meters.

In the video footage, Ukrainian T-64 tanks and MaxxPro armored vehicles can be seen approaching the Russian front and firing at close range. Russia sent numerous T-80 tanks into the fray in response.

The attacks are so-called "probing attacks," test attacks on enemy lines to learn their reaction.

Kiev has so far only said that the armed forces are "moving to offensive actions." Moscow had previously spoken of a large-scale counteroffensive by Kiev. According to Russia, more than 900 Ukrainians were killed on all fronts within 24 hours, according to army spokesman Igor Konashenkov on Monday.

However, reports from Russian officers on the frontline cast doubt on those figures. Kiev initially did not confirm the losses and spoke of a disinformation campaign to demoralize Ukrainians. For the most part, such information cannot be independently verified.