Ukraine war latest: Russian forces take control of village in Kharkiv region - defence ministry

We're pausing our coverage of the Ukraine war for the moment.

Scroll through the blog below to catch up on today's developments.

A decorated Ukrainian pilot has been killed in action, the country's 831st tactical aviation brigade has announced. 

In a post on Facebook, the brigade said First Deputy Commander of the Aviation Squadron Lieutenant Colonel Denis Vasilyuk, was killed during a combat mission.

"We lost not just a pilot, but a reliable combat brother, a friend and just a wonderful and bright man," it added. 

He flew dozens of missions since the beginning of the war has has been awarded the Order For Courage medal. 

The medal is handed to members of the military for individual courage and heroism while rescuing people or valued materials while endangering their own life. 

A Ukrainian missile has been destroyed over Belgorod, the Russian defence ministry has said. 

It said the Tochka-U tactical missile was launched at around 9.15pm local time (7.15pm UK time). 

"Duty air defence systems destroyed one tactical missile over the territory of the Belgorod region," it added. 

Belgorod has been targeted several times, with attacks increasing in recent weeks. 

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has praised his forces' successes during his nightly address. 

The Ukrainian president said his troops had grown in confidence, particularly in the Kharkiv region. 

However, his message comes after Russia's defence ministry said its forces captured the village of Starytsia in the Kharkiv region earlier today - just eight days after a new Russian push in the area began.

"The occupier is losing its infantry and equipment, a tangible loss, even though, just as in 2022, it was counting on a quick advance on our land," Mr Zelenskyy said, referring to Russia's initial invasion of Ukraine in February of that year.

In the eastern Donetsk region around Chasiv Yar, a city seen as a key target in Russia's campaign, Mr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces had repelled a Russian assault. 

"Our soldiers destroyed more than 20 units of the occupier's armoured vehicles," he added.

Russia has claimed to have captured a "very valuable" British-made vehicle from the battlefield. 

In a post on Telegram, the defence ministry said the FV104 Samaritan evacuation vehicle has been taken but needs to be repaired. 

It claimed it was big enough to evacuate four people and carry a crew of two. 

It said it was "very valuable" and could be used as a "rare collection exhibit". 

It shared a video of the vehicle but Sky News has not been able to verify if it is a FV104 Samaritan. 

Five people have been injured in a Russian shelling attack in Kharkiv, the Ukrainian national police has said. 

A 13-year-old girl and 16-year-old boy are among those hurt, it said. 

The Russian military attacked the city at around 30pm, it added, with several hits recorded on residential buildings. 

"As a result of shelling, five civilians were injured, and civilian infrastructure was also damaged," police official Oleksandr Kobylev said. 

"Currently, two minor children are known to have suffered minor injuries. Necessary medical assistance is provided to all victims." 

A Russian attack plane has been shot down, a Ukrainian army brigade has reported. 

The 110th separate brigade said the Su-25 had been destroyed in Donetsk. 

It said it was the fourth Su-25 to have been shot down, adding it will keep issuing "flaming fines" to Russia for crossing into Ukraine. 

"Our sky will become hell for the occupant pilots. Our squad number will be a nightmare for them," it added. 

A Ukrainian sergeant has been stabbed in the hand by a civilian, the country's ground forces has said. 

In a statement posted on Facebook, the army said the attacker was detained and has been charged with attempted murder and obstructing the armed forces. 

The attack took place in the city of Sinelnikove, in the central Dnipro region, earlier today.

"A civilian committed an armed assault with cold weapons (knife) on the sergeant of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the statement said. 

The sergeant, who worked for the territorial recruitment and social support centre, has been provided with "all the necessary medical care", it added. 

In Ukraine's second largest city, airstrikes have become a daily occurrence as intense battles continue. 

Russian troops have been pushing ahead with a ground offensive that opened a new front in northeastern Kharkiv region in recent days, putting further pressure on Kyiv's overstretched military. 

After weeks of probing, Moscow launched the new push knowing that Ukraine suffered personnel shortages, and that its forces have been spread thin in the northeast.

Two people were killed after Russian airstrikes hit Kharkiv on Friday as Ukrainian troops fought to halt Russian advances in the region.

The airstrikes targeted Ukraine's second-largest city during the daytime, injuring 25 people and killing two, according to Kharkiv's mayor Ihor Terkhov.

On Thursday, the air alarm sounded for more than 16 hours, a record since the beginning of the military campaign by Russia.

Here are some of the latest pictures from the city: 

Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian power facilities in early 2024 disrupted 14% of Russia's oil refining capacity, according to the US Department of Defence.

The strikes pushed up domestic oil prices by 20-30% and forced Russia to halt exports to focus on meeting domestic demand, a report from the Pentagon’s intelligence agency said.

But it caused only a "negligible disruption" to the electricity supply for Russian civilians and the military, because of Russia's "robust generation capacity" and the level of power in the grid.