Putin invokes Soviet heroism in WWII as he vows victory in Ukraine

MOSCOW - Casting his war in Ukraine as a virtuous fight despite mounting deaths and his forces' plodding progress, President Vladimir Putin vowed on Thursday that Russia would prevail, using a speech in the city formerly known as Stalingrad to compare his invasion to the Soviets' defeat of the Nazis in a decisive World War II battle.

"The legacy of generations, values and traditions - this is all what makes Russia different, what makes us strong and confident in ourselves, in our righteousness and in our victory," Mr Putin said.

The Russian leader's defiant remarks came as Ukrainian officials warned that Moscow was opening a new offensive aimed at capturing more of eastern Ukraine and giving Mr Putin his first significant battlefield success in months. Hours before he spoke, Russian missiles struck the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, a key military hub for Kyiv's forces.

Russia's slow gains in the east and its attempts to capture the nearby city of Bakhmut have come at a huge cost in lives, Ukraine says, as the Kremlin throws thousands of often inexperienced fighters into brutal ground combat against dugin Ukrainian forces.

But there was no mention in Mr Putin's speech of Russia's mounting losses.