Heavy fighting; Thick smoke billows; Dead bodies are everywhere... PHOTO/VIDEO

Vladimir Putin claims that Russian troops are advancing in the northern direction in Ukraine, while Volodymyr Zelensky states that they have stopped the Russian offensive in the east.

The White House announced a new $300 million aid package for Ukraine.

Explosions rang out in the Ukrainian city of Sumy, Ukrainian media reports.

Fleeing from the village of Nevelske to the DNR, Ukrainian troops left behind a fairly large number of weapons, including Western-made ones, under the pressure of Russian fighters, Igor Kimakovsky, adviser to the leader of the DNR, told Sputnik.

He also stated that the Ukrainian command did not even try to evacuate its wounded soldiers in some places, but they were captured by Russian forces.

"There are a large number of corpses of Ukrainian soldiers lying around the settlement, which they also did not take," Kimakovsky said. He added that near the town of Chasiv Yar, Russian troops improved their tactical positions.

Putin underlined that any negotiations must not be a pause to rearm Ukraine.