Russia seizes Ukrainian border villages as its massive bombing campaign slows

KYIV, Ukraine -- Russian forces person taken 4 borderline villages successful Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, a section authoritative said Tuesday, days aft Russian President Vladimir Putin said helium had issued an bid to found a buffer portion on the border.

Sumy borders Russia’s Kursk region, wherever a astonishment Ukrainian incursion past twelvemonth captured a pouch of onshore successful the archetypal concern of Russian territory since World War II. Creating a buffer portion could assistance Russia forestall further Ukrainian cross-border attacks there.

Meanwhile, a Russian bombing run that had escalated successful caller days slowed overnight arsenic acold less Russian drones targeted Ukrainian towns and cities.

Moscow's penetration has shown nary signs of stopping contempt months of intense U.S.-led efforts to unafraid a ceasefire and get traction for bid talks. Since Russian and Ukrainian delegations met successful Turkey earlier this period for their first nonstop talks successful 3 years, a large captive exchange has been the lone tangible outcome, but negotiations person brought nary important breakthrough.

Between Friday and Sunday, Russia launched astir 900 drones astatine Ukraine, officials said, amid a spate of large-scale bombardments. On Sunday night, Russia launched its biggest drone onslaught of the 3-year war against Ukraine, firing 355 drones.

From Monday to Tuesday, Russia fired 60 drones astatine Ukraine, the Ukrainian aerial unit said Tuesday. Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed its aerial defenses downed 99 Ukrainian drones overnight implicit 7 Russian regions.

The play surge successful Russia's bombardments of Ukraine drew a rebuke from U.S. President Donald Trump, who said Putin had gone “crazy.” That remark prompted a crisp Kremlin absorption Monday, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov criticizing ”emotional reactions” to events.

Peskov adopted a milder code Tuesday, hailing U.S. bid efforts and saying that “the Americans and President Trump person taken a rather balanced approach.”

In Sumy, Russian forces are trying to beforehand deeper aft capturing villages, Oleh Hryhorov, caput of the Sumy determination subject administration, said successful a statement.

Ukrainian forces are endeavoring to clasp the line, helium said. Residents of the captured villages were evacuated earlier, and determination is nary contiguous menace to civilians, Hryhorov said.

Putin visited the Kursk portion past week for the archetypal clip since Moscow claimed past period that it drove Ukrainian forces retired of the country wherever they captured onshore past August. Kyiv officials person denied the claim.

The agelong borderline remains susceptible to Ukrainian incursions, Putin said. He said helium told the Russian subject to make a “security buffer zone” on the borderline but provided nary nationalist details of wherever the projected portion would beryllium oregon however acold it would stretch.

Putin said a twelvemonth agone that a Russian violative astatine the clip aimed to make a buffer portion successful Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region. That could person helped support Russia’s Belgorod borderline region, wherever predominant Ukrainian attacks person embarrassed the Kremlin.

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