Russia-Ukraine war LIVE: Putin says Russia could have been 'better prepared' for border attacks

Putin said that Moscow's forces in Ukraine were suffering from shortages in some military equipment, including high-precision ammunition and drones. 

"During the course of the special military operation, it became clear that many things were lacking," Putin said. 

"High-precision ammunition, communications equipment, drones etc... We have them, but unfortunately, there is not enough," he added. 

Putin claimed that Ukraine was suffering massive losses in its highly touted counter-offensive against Russian positions in Ukraine. 

"Their losses are approaching a level that could be described as catastrophic," Putin said during a meeting. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said Moscow could have more successfully readied southern regions of the country bordering Ukraine for cross-border attacks from Ukrainian territory. 

Referring to recent cross-border attacks on Russia's southern region of Belgorod he said that "of course, there is nothing good in this".

He added, "But, in principle, one could have assumed that the enemy would behave this way, and one could have prepared better."

France on Tuesday said it had uncovered a major disinformation campaign waged by Russia, involving the posting of false news items hostile to Ukraine made to look like they had been published by prominent French news organisations. 

"France condemns these actions unworthy of a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council," Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said in a statement. 

"The French authorities are working closely with their partners to defeat the hybrid warfare led by Russia," she added.

According to a Russian media report on Monday, an experienced Russian general was killed in a Ukrainian missile strike on the southern Zaporizhzhia front. 

Voenkor, who is a prominent pro-war blogger, said in a Telegram post: "As a result of an enemy missile attack, the Chief of Staff of the 35th Combined Arms Army, Maj Gen Sergei Goryachev, was killed." 
 
Voenkor added that "according to representatives of the command of the United Group of Forces (S), the army has lost today one of the brightest and most effective military leaders". 

A report by The Guardian mentioned that Goryachev was a decorated commander and he previously led Russian troops in Moldova’s breakaway region of Transnistria.  

Serhiy Lysak, who is the regional governor, said that four were killed in the apartment block and six in the warehouse. 

Mayor Oleksandr Vilkul said one person was still trapped under rubble and 28 had been injured, with 12 of them being treated in hospital. 

Residents sobbed outside the burnt-out apartment block, from which smoke billowed after the early-morning attack on the central Ukrainian city. 

(Image: Rescuers carry the body of a person killed by a Russian missile strike. Credit: Reuters) 

Authorities said Tuesday that the toll from overnight Russian strikes on the central Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rig has risen to 10. 

Oleksandr Vilkul, who is the head of the city's military administration, said in a statement on social media: "Ten people have died, one is under the rubble, 28 are injured."