KYIV: KYIV: The ministry did not specify in which part of the Luhansk region the offensive took place. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy`s office said Kyiv's forces had repelled some Russian attacks in Luhansk but added: "The situation in the region remains difficult."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy`s office said Kyiv's forces had repelled some Russian attacks in Luhansk but added: "The situation in the region remains difficult."

The attacks are coming in waves and from various directions, Haidai said. Six Russian balloons that may have been carrying reconnaissance equipment were shot down over the city on Wednesday after air raid sirens sounded, according to the military administration of Kyiv. It stated on the Telegram messaging app that "the goal of the balloon launches was possible to detect and exhaust our air ddefences" Serhiy Haidai, the regional governor of Luhansk, claimed that Russia was sending troops and heavy equipment into Luhansk.

As NATO defense ministers prepared to meet for a second day on Wednesday, Ukraine urged allies to speed up the pace of military aid, and Russia barraged the eastern front line with what appeared to be the opening salvos of a new offensive.

Vladimir Putin's main target, the bombed-out city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, took the brunt of Russia's artillery fire. In preparation for street fighting, Ukrainian troops there fortified their positions.

Bakhmut's capture would give Russia momentum after months of setbacks ahead of the invasion's first anniversary on February 24. Russia would then advance on two larger cities, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk in Donetsk.

"It's still very difficult on the front lines, particularly in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk." "The conflicts are fought over every square inch of Ukrainian territory." In his evening address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said.

Zelenskiy stated earlier in the day that Russia is eager to accomplish as much as it can with its most recent push before Ukraine and its allies gain strength.

Speed is crucial because of this, he explained. "Everything must move quickly, including decisions to adopt, actions to take, the delivery of supplies, and training." "People are saved by speed."

In order to counter the Russian offensive and retake lost territory, Ukraine claims it needs fighter jets and long-range missiles but is using shells faster than the West can produce them.

As NATO's defense chiefs gathered in Brussels, the United States and NATO reaffirmed that Western support will not waver in the face of an impending Russian offensive.

"Ukraine needs urgent assistance to get through this critical period of the war." We anticipate that they will have a window of opportunity to exercise initiative, "Lloyd Austin, the secretary of defense for the United States, predicted that Ukraine would begin its own offensive in the spring.

The provision of fighter jets to Ukraine would undoubtedly be discussed, but according to German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, it is not a current priority.

Russia, which refers to the invasion as a "special military operation" to remove security threats, claimed that NATO was increasingly getting involved in the conflict and displaying hostility towards Russia on a daily basis. Kyiv and its allies describe Russia's actions as an unprovoked land grab.

Putin was "getting ready for more war, for new offensives and new attacks," according to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

In recent weeks, the Kremlin has stepped up its attacks across a large portion of southern and eastern Ukraine, and a significant new offensive has long been anticipated.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces' General Staff reported on Wednesday that Russian forces had shelled more than 25 settlements in the direction of Bakhmut over the course of the previous day.

More than 20 settlements were targeted by attacks, including Bakhmut and Vuhledar, a town located 150 kilometers (90 miles) to the southwest of Bakhmut, it was added.

According to Ukrainian officials, the Russians had lost personnel, tanks, and armored vehicles in the area of Vuhledar.

"Fighting is raging to secure an advantage around every single house (in Bakhmut)," Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said. "The situation remains extremely difficult, but is under the control of our forces, and the front line has not moved."

In a YouTube video, Zhdanov added, "There are a very large number of Russian troops, and it is a very difficult grind."

According to John Kirby, a spokesman for the White House, Russian forces have advanced slightly near Bakhmut.

The leader of the Wagner mercenary group, which has led the assault on Bakhmut, Yevgeny Prigozhin, predicted that Russian forces would not be able to take the town any time soon. He claimed that Ukraine was bolstering its forces with up to 500 new fighters per day in a post on the Telegram platform.

Nearly all of Luhansk, as well as the nuclear power plant there, and more than half of Donetsk, including the regional capital, are under Russian control.

According to a report backed by the United States and released on Tuesday, Russia had detained at least 6,000 Ukrainian children, and probably many more, in camps in Russia and Crimea whose main objective appeared to be political re-education.

According to the Russian embassy in Washington, children who were compelled to leave their families behind because of the shelling in Ukraine were accepted in Russia.