Putin sees gains on eastern Ukraine front lines, including Avdiivka

Russian forces have made gains in their Ukraine offensive, President Vladimir Putin said Sunday, including in Avdiivka, a symbolic industrial hub where fighting has been fierce.  

"Our troops are improving their position in almost all of this area, which is quite vast," he said in an interview on Russian television, an extract of which was posted on social media on Sunday.

"This concerns the areas of Kupiansk, Zaporizhzhia and Avdiivka," Putin said, praising the army's "active defence strategy".

On Saturday, Kyiv reported "very heated" fighting around Avdiivka Saturday, saying Russian forces had "not stopped assaulting" it for days in their attempt to surround it.