TORY: As the anniversary of its invasion of Ukraine nears, Russian forces pounded the city of Bakhmut on Monday, in what NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said was the beginning of a major, long-feared new offensive: "The reality is we have seen the start already because we see now what Russia does now - President Putin does now - is to send thousands and thousands more troops, accepting a very high rate of casualty." Military officials said Ukrainian defenders, who have held on for months, were braced for new ground attacks.