The UK Foreign Office says it's supporting the family of a British man who has died in Ukraine - the eighth Briton to die in the country since the Russian invasion.

The man's identity has not yet been confirmed. Officials say they are in contact with local Ukrainian authorities.

Many volunteer fighters and aid workers from the UK have travelled to give assistance during the conflict.

Let's stick with the front-line situation. Our colleagues at BBC Radio 4 have been discussing Russia's battlefield strategy with Gen Sir Richard Barrons - who ran the UK's Joint Forces Command for three years.

Acknowledging that the fiercest fighting seemed to be around Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, Sir Richard said Russian forces were "ploughing" their enemies with "manpower and ammunition".

The remarkable thing, he said, was that there was no sign that Russia had learnt how to adapt and "fight differently" after nearly a year of war. Instead, Moscow was still "spending huge amounts of people" to win "tens of yards," he told the BBC's Jonny Dymond.

Asked why this was happening, Sir Richard suggested there were many explanations - one being that expensive ammunition was fast running out in Moscow.

"We're relying as much on the Russian failure to improve as we are the Ukrainian ability to be better than last year," he added.

Image source, EPA

Image source, .

As you can see from these maps, Russia has claimed recent gains in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region. Its forces have intensified their onslaught on Bakhmut, which they've been trying to take for more than six months.

Some of the fiercest fighting of the war has happened around the town, and Ukraine believes Russia is trying to seize full control ahead of the anniversary of its invasion on 24 February.

Moscow has stepped up its attacks in other front-line areas in the Donbas, as well as in the south. Ukrainian officials have previously warned that a new Russian offensive is already under way.

If Russia succeeded in capturing Bakhmut, its forces could be able to push towards bigger cities.

Image source, .

While cooperation between Ukraine and Nato dates back to the 1990s, it wasn't until September last year that Kyiv formally applied for membership.

President Zelensky said he was "taking the decisive step" to formalise the alliance when his Russian counterpart President Putin announced he was annexing four Ukrainian provinces.

Although Ukraine's defence minister recently told the BBC that he saw his country as a "de facto" member of Nato, the application has not progressed any further to date.

In a pre-ministerial meeting yesterday, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg was quizzed on the ways Nato wanted to bolster Ukraine before ratifying the country's membership.

He said: “The first thing we need to do is help [Kyiv] to win this war.

“The second main focus should be that when this war ends in one way or another, we should ensure that Ukraine is able to deter and defend itself.

“The third issue will be the issue of whether there will be some international arrangements, agreements, assurances.”

Image source, EPA

Well, only a few brief comments from Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg were broadcast publicly just now.

But in the video above, you can get a snippet of what he told reporters earlier.

He warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin wasn't preparing for peace, but instead "the opposite... he is preparing for more war, for new offensives and new attacks".

Stoltenburg calls for a moment's silence for the victims of last week's earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, which is strictly observed by the Nato delegates present in the room.

He then says that's the end of the public part of the meeting, at which point the cameras cut away.

The Nato chief's remarks were brief. Anything else we get from the summit in Brussels, we'll bring to you on this page.

Image source, Reuters

Stoltenberg begins with a fresh condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He says that President Putin made two big strategic "mistakes".

Namely: "He underestimated the strength and bravery of people of Ukraine an its armed forces, and he underestimated the unity and resolve of Nato and its partners."

He adds that Nato allies are giving unprecedent support to Ukraine, and reiterates that the Western alliance will support Ukraine for "as long as it takes" - a line we've heard a few times today.

Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is due to speak imminently, at the Nato meeting in Brussels discussing support for Ukraine.

You can watch it live by pressing the Play button at the top of this page.

Image source, Getty Images

If you're just joining us, or need a recap, here's a look back at the day's events in Ukraine and Brussels.

A new Russian offensive... is feared by Nato officials. The eastern Ukrainian town of Bakhmut continues to endure steady Russian bombardments, as do other towns along the frontlines of the war in the Donetsk region.

Ammunition... became the main talking point at a Nato meeting in Brussels, where member nations are discussing what more can be done to assist Kyiv. An expert told us why ammo may be on people's minds.

Following that meeting... US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said he expected Ukraine to launch an offensive against Russia in the spring. Responding to recent media reports, he also said he had not seen Moscow "massing its aircraft" in readiness for a larger aerial attack.

America's top general... used the same press conference to criticise Russia. Mark Milley said President Putin was "wrong" to believe he could defeat Ukraine quickly. He added that Russia had "lost strategically, operationally and tactically" and was "paying an enormous price on the battlefield".

Russia hit out... by criticising the meeting of Western defence officials earlier, calling Nato "hostile".

Next up, we're due to hear more from Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg. Stay tuned for that.

The UK's Financial Times newspaper reports, external that Russia is amassing aircraft on the Ukrainian border, as part of a plan to commit jets and helicopters to the war to support a "stuttering land offensive".

The report - which has not been verified by the BBC - cites unnamed Western officials as saying that Ukraine's allies will prioritise rapid shipments of air defence assets and artillery ammunition to Kyiv.

But US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin appeared to question such reports during his press conference a short time ago.

"In terms of whether or not Russia is massing its aircraft for some massive aerial attack: we don't currently see that," he said.

Austin's being pushed on whether the US is considering sending fighter jets to Ukraine.

"I don't have any announcements to make," he says.

The question comes after Ukraine's President Zelensky used a surprise visit to the UK last week to call for western leaders to give Ukraine "wings for freedom" - referring to fighter jets.

But Kyiv's Western allies have so far stopped short of sending any planes.

The press conference wraps up a short time later, and Austin and Milley leave the stage.

A reporter asks the US defence secretary if Ukraine will have to do "more with less" if it's burning through equipment faster than it's being supplied.

Austin says: "We're going to do everything we can to ensure they get as much ammunition as quickly as possible and we're doing everting we can to sustain efforts."

He says allies are working with Ukrainian soldiers throughout Europe to emphasise additional training.

He says there's a good chance Ukrainian forces will require less artillery munitions when more emphasis is placed on manoeuvring and shaping the battlefield, "but that's left to the seen".

Image source, Reuters

Milley says Russia's been waging its war on Ukraine for "far too long".

He refers to Kyiv's allies - saying some 54 countries met today in Brussels at the meeting hosted by the Nato military alliance.

Those allies, he says, will uphold "rules-based international order", including the founding principles of the United Nations.

Before inviting questions, he finishes by saying Ukraine is far from alone.

Image source, Reuters

America's top general Mark Milley begins speaking.

He castigates Russia, branding the war "a barbaric Russian invasion", one started by President Putin "brutally, illegally and in an unprovoked way".

He continues: "For Ukraine, it’s not a war of aggression, it’s a war of defence. For Russia, it’s a war of aggression."

"Ukrainians remain resilient, and united by one single purpose to expel Russians from their territory and defend themselves."

Austin continues by saying much of today's discussions have been around "accountability".

He says that almost a year ago, Russia's President Putin "assumed Ukraine would be an easy target, that Kyiv would fall and that the world would stand by."

He adds: "The Kremlin was wrong on every count."

Austin commends Ukraine for defending itself and the countries who have supported it in doing so.

He says he and others seek a world where "borders are honoured" and "civilians are protected", before pledging that Nato stands "united" in helping Ukraine "for as long as it takes".

Austin hands over to General Mark Milley, another US official.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks of "significant new air defence donations" which have been announced, including from Italy and France.

He says France will work with Australia to ramp up ammunition production to support Ukraine.

He also thanks Norway for announcing €7.5bn in military and civilian assistance to Ukraine over the coming five years, calling it "a very significant commitment".

Image source, AFP

Starting his second speech of the day, Lloyd Austin says the world will "mark a grim milestone" as the first anniversary of the Ukrainian war rears its head.

He says: "Our hearts are with all of the Ukrainian families killed and wounded when trying to defend their sovereignty amongst fellow civilians.

"They have lost children, parents, and loved ones as Russia has deliberately attacked civilian targets."

He continues: "Russia has inflicted a year of tragedy and terror on Ukraine, but the people of Ukraine have inspired the world."

We're again hearing from US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin at a Nato press conference.

Stand by and we'll let you know what he says.

Watch live by pressing the Play button at the top of this page.

Image source, EPA

While today's talks are mostly about making sure enough ammunition gets to Ukraine, Kyiv is still pushing to get modern fighter jets from its Western allies.

But why is that proving to be so difficult? There are four main challenges:

• It takes a long time to train pilots to be able to fly them. The longer a pilot is away training, the less time they can be used in battle
• The planes Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is asking for need a lot of maintenance after nearly every flight. Once the jets are given to Kyiv, they are no longer Nato property, meaning Ukrainian soldiers need to be trained to maintain them
• Not all of the newer planes are suitable for what Ukraine needs them for. More recent models of the UK's Typhoon are not optimised to fly at low altitude. Any planes given would need to be able to do this because of Russia's air defence threat
• And there is a worry that Moscow would see giving jets to Kyiv as an escalation of the war and risk a direct confrontation between Nato and Russia

Read more here

Sam Hancock
Live reporter

Let's hear more from Dr Jenny Mathers now, who says there's "uncertainty about whether we're seeing a new Russian offensive" in Ukraine.

The academic says it's unclear whether we're in for a "slow but fairly steady acceleration of Russian forces" or "something on a larger and more dramatic scale in the coming weeks or months".

Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg and a number of other officials have voiced concerns about the possibility of this happening in the lead up to 24 February, the one-year anniversary of the invasion.

"Whichever it proves to be will be important in revealing how the Russian military is recovering and regrouping... [and] how effectively it's able to deploy its newly mobilised soldiers," Dr Mathers says.

She stresses that there's "a lot of anger, frustration and dissatisfaction" among these new troops who believe they're being sent "into a war zone inadequately prepared".

Putin's last "partial mobilisation", in September, started out with a "chaotic burst of activity that did not provide much in the way of short term gains on the battlefield," Dr Mathers recalls. It'll be interesting to see how confident it is this time around, she adds.