Ukrainian leaders are hoping that the beginning of a long-awaited counterattack will liberate territory occupied by Russian troops for more than a year.

Russia reported heavy fighting along the front in southern Ukraine on Friday, where bloggers described the first sightings of German and U.S. armour, signalling that Ukraine's long-anticipated counterattack was under way.

Ukraine is sending mixed signals about its long-anticipated counteroffensive, but its forces are on the move, and Russians are feeling the war more than ever.

Fighting raged Friday in southern Ukraine, but Russian leader Vladimir Putin claimed Kyiv’s long-expected offensive was already failing.

Prigozhin, who spent months with his troops in war-torn Bakhmut, said Russia would have destroyed the Earth "five times over" by the Kremlin's logic. Russia's defense ministry said its military took down 16 tanks and 250 Ukrainian troops, but Ukraine said it had no information on an attack.

Moscow and Kyiv both reported heavy fighting in Ukraine on Friday, with bloggers describing the first sightings of German and U.S. armour, signalling that Ukraine's long-anticipated counterattack was under way.