Ukrainian officials have published evacuation orders on Saturday for 11 other villages in the northern region of Sumy after continuous Russian gains have feared that Moscow will prepare for a new offensive on the ground.
Russia progressed more deeply in Ukrainian territory on Saturday, taking control of two other villages in Sumy and killing two people in a missile and drone dam. More than 200 colonies in the region were already under evacuation orders.
The attacks have occurred while Ukrainian diplomats continue to discuss participation in a new cycle of peace talks proposed by Moscow in Istanbul next week.
Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy said that around 50,000 Russian soldiers were gathered on the border near the Sumy region, which, according to him, was a sign that Moscow is preparing a renewed offensive.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday that it had taken control of the village of Novopil in the eastern Donetsk region, as well as the village of Vodolahy in the northern region of Sumy.
The Russian army also launched 109 drones and five missiles Ukraine Over the next day and in the early hours of Saturday, many of which were intercepted, said the Ukrainian Air Force.
The Salvo missile killed a nine -year -old girl in the Zaporizhzhia region, in eastern Ukraine, as well as a 16 -year -old, said the governor of Zaporizhzhia, Ivan Fedorov. Another man was killed by Russian bombings in the port city of Kherson, in the south of Ukraine. “A house was destroyed. The shock wave of the explosion also damaged several other houses, cars and outbuildings,” wrote Fedorov on Telegram.
Ukraine also launched drone attacks on Western Russia on Saturday, injuring 14 people.
The back and forth attacks have come while the prosecution of peace prosecution between Russia and Ukraine remains uncertain. Moscow had proposed direct peace talks on Monday between the two countries of Istanbul, but Kyiv insisted that Russia should first provide a proposal to cease-fire promised before it accepts to attend.
Russia had previously declared that it would share a memorandum indicating its position on what it wanted to end the three -year war between the two countries, but has not yet done. Ukrainian officials said they had already submitted a proposal to Russia who exercised its conditions.
Zelenskyy accused Russia on Friday of “undermining diplomacy” by not giving the Ukrainians his position document.
“For any reason, the Russians hide this document. It is an absolutely weird position. There is no clarity in the format,” said Zelenskyy on Telegram. Moscow said he would provide his peace conditions in person on Monday.
Russia and Ukraine have undergone increasing international pressure to make a ceasefire, especially after the American president, Donald Trump, made a ceasefire a key priority of foreign policy. Trump called for direct talks Between the two countries, while Turkey has played a mediation role, proposing to welcome summits between them.
Diplomacy had small gains, with an unprecedented exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine leading to 1,000 prisoners are exchanged earlier in the month. The exchange of prisoners, supposed to be a measure of strengthening confidence, has not yet led to greater breakthroughs.
The EU accused Russia of blocking the cease-fire talks while giving gains on the battlefield, an affirmation that Moscow has rejected. Moscow said it is Ukraine who delays a ceasefire, although the Russian president, Vladimir Putinrefused to accept calls for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine.
The invasion of Ukraine by Russia, which began in February 2022, resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. Russia now controls a fifth of Ukrainian territory.
