Ukraine and Russia: What you need to know right now

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy vowed there would be no let-up in fighting to regain territory lost to Russia as Kyiv said its troops had advanced to the eastern bank of the Oskil River, threatening Russian occupation forces in the Donbas.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed there would be no let-up in fighting to regain territory lost to Russia as Kyiv said its troops had advanced to the eastern bank of the Oskil River, threatening Russian occupation forces in the Donbas. FIGHTING

* Russian troops have struck the Pivdennoukrainsk nuclear power plant in the southern Mykolaiv region, but its reactors have not been damaged and are working normally, Ukraine's state nuclear company Energoatom said. * Russia has likely lost at least four combat jets in Ukraine within the last 10 days, taking its attrition to about 55 since the beginning of its invasion, the British military said.

* The Russian army, seeking contract soldiers for what it calls the "special military operation" in Ukraine, is using mobile recruiting trucks to attract volunteers, offering nearly $3,000 a month as an incentive. * Ukraine's southern command said strikes were launched on a radar station near Kherson and on a pontoon crossing near Nova Kakhovka east of Kherson, where a Ukrainian counter-offensive has focused on taking out bridges across the Dnipro and Inhulets Rivers.

* Ukraine's general defense staff said its forces repelled Russian attacks in the areas of Mykolaivka Druga, Vesela Dolyna, and Bakhmut settlements in the Donetsk region. * Reuters could not verify battlefield reports.

* Ukrainian President Zelenskiy said investigators had discovered new evidence of torture used against some soldiers buried near Izium, in the northeastern Kharkiv region. * The Kremlin has not commented publicly on the discovery of graves at Izium. Moscow regularly denies committing atrocities in the war or deliberately attacking civilians.

DIPLOMACY * U.S. President Biden urged Russian President Putin not to use tactical nuclear or chemical weapons in the wake of setbacks in Ukraine.

QUOTES * "It’s scary ... I’ve still kept this feeling, that any moment a shell could explode or an airplane could fly over. I’m still scared to be here," said Nataliia Yelistratova as she returned to the recently liberated northeastern town of Balakliia.

* "I would love to serve in the airborne troops. My parents brought me up since childhood to love my homeland, to protect the Russian world. I believe the power is with us," said Russian musician Viktor Yakunin at a military recruitment office. 

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)