The Russian ground offensive in the Sumy region in northeastern Ukraine is taking place since the Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to focus on operations in the border area between Ukrainian Sumy and Russian Kursk regions.
Putin wants to see a Russian buffer zone in the border area in order to be able to intensify attacks on Ukrainian territory.
The reports of Russian attacks on smaller towns come from local authorities, and have not been confirmed by independent sources. But the fighting is apparently intense. Ukraine surprised Moscow by taking parts of the Kursk region in a surprise offensive last year – but is now being pushed back.
The ground battles follow the nightly Russian air attacks on large parts of Ukraine, among the most extensive since Russia launched its full-scale invasion war.
On Tuesday, it was reported that the air raids had decreased in scope.
Nothing suggests that the US attempts to mediate have been heard in Moscow.
Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who was in Moscow on Tuesday, is said to be traveling to Kyiv next week, according to sources within the Turkish Foreign Ministry. Turkey is keen to maintain good contacts with both countries' capitals, and hosted earlier talks between the parties.
The only concrete result of the talks was the prisoner exchange of 1,000 prisoners of war from each side who got to return to their home countries.
