Head of Ukraine's Supreme Court detained with stacks of cash piled on sofa: Report

The head of Ukraine's supreme court has been detained over an alleged bribery scheme, a prosecutor from the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office has said, reported Sky News. The prosecutor did not name the official detained but did tell reporters his role. 

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine added that it had "exposed large-scale corruption in the Supreme Court", namely a scheme for "receiving undue benefits by the leadership and judges". 

"Urgent investigative actions are currently underway," it said on Telegram, alongside a photo of stacks of cash piled up on a sofa.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces have taken back about 20 square km (7.5 square miles) of territory around Bakhmut in recent days, the country's deputy defence minister has said. However, Russian troops are still "advancing somewhat" in the eastern city and heavy fighting has continued, Hanna Maliar said. 

"In the current situation, our troops are doing their best and even more," she said on Telegram. "The fact that the defence of Bakhmut lasts for so many months and there are advances in certain areas is the strength of our fighters and the high level of professionalism of the defence command." 

Kyiv's counteroffensive shaping up: Report

Ukraine's much-anticipated counteroffensive hasn't started yet, but a "shaping operation" is under way, a former senior military intelligence officer has told Sky News. 

Discussing the situation on the ground following reports that Ukrainian forces were making headway in the eastern city of Bakhmut, Philip Ingram said the "big ground thrust" was yet to come, and that Ukraine was instead focusing on its operations in Bakhmut. 

"With the Wagner private military company trying to track through the city, Russian regular forces to the north and south of the city, the Ukrainians have been counterattacking to the north and south of the city," he said. 

He explained that the movements were "focusing the Russians militarily on the city itself and focusing them psychologically so that they can prepare wherever the counteroffensive is going to be". 

He added that Russia was getting "more angry" and using "big beasts with lots of explosives" to target Ukraine. 

This was seen in the early hours of this morning when Kyiv came under a number of assaults by missiles that even when intercepted were not completely neutralised, Ingram said.