A Ukrainian drone attack last weekend likely damaged around 10% of Russia's strategic bomber fleet and hit some of the aircraft as they were being prepared for strikes on Ukraine, a senior German military official said.

Germany has given Ukraine the green light to strike targets inside Russia using long-range weapons supplied by Berlin, in a decision that signals a notable hardening of Western resolve as the war grinds on.

Palisa told reporters gathered at the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington that Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN seeks to occupy the entirety of Ukraine east of the Dnipro River, which bisects the country.