Volodymyr Zelenskiy has secured fresh military aid from the US during a day of frantic diplomatic activity at the G7 summit, as Russia claimed a battlefield victory in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

Joe Biden announced military assistance worth up to $375m to Kyiv, telling Zelensky the US was doing everything possible to strengthen Ukraine’s defences in its war with Russia.

Their meeting came as Zelenskiy attempted to win over the leaders of non-aligned countries, including India and Brazil, who have so far declined to condemn the Russian invasion.

In a meeting with Zelenskiy on the sidelines of the summit in Hiroshima, Japan, Biden said the military aid package included ammunition, artillery, armoured vehicles and training, days after giving the UK and other allies the go-ahead to transfer US-built F-16 jets to Ukraine.

Zelenskiy says Bakhmut ‘is not occupied’ and tells G7 Russia has ‘trampled on everything civilised’

Answering questions from journalists, Zelenskiy asserted that Bakhmut had not been captured by Russia and that Ukrainian troops remain in the city, but that he could not give clear information.

He said:

We are fighting thanks to the courage of our people, our warriors.

I clearly understand what has taken place in Bakhmut.

I cannot share with you the tactical views of our military.

Bakhmut is not occupied by Russia Federation as of today. There are no two or three interpretations of those words.