President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed on Monday what he called "the news we have been waiting for" from troops fighting in and around the shattered eastern city of Bakhmut, but gave no further details.

"I am grateful to each soldier, to all our defenders, men and women, who have given us today the news we have been waiting for. Fine job, soldiers in the Bakhmut sector!" Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.

He said Russia was reacting "hysterically" to any action undertaken by Ukrainian forces and singled out two units who "skillfully, decisively and effectively defend our positions, destroy the occupiers and, most importantly, move forward".

Russia's military said it had thwarted a major offensive against its forces in eastern Ukraine, but Ukrainian officials dismissed any notion that an anticipated major counter-offensive had begun. They reported some gains along front lines.

(Reporting by Ron Popeski and Oleksander Kozhukhar; Editing by Leslie Adler)