Russia seized border villages in Ukraine, its bombing slowed down the pace

The Russian forces have taken over four border settlements in the northeastern Sumper region in Ukraine, according to a local official representative on Tuesday, days after Russian President Vladimir Putin said he ordered the troops to create a buffer zone along the border.

The Sumsk region borders the Russian Kurska, where last year, a surprisingly Ukrainian invasion, a small zone in the area, which was the first occupation in Russian territory after World War II, took over. According to Putin, the long border is vulnerable to Ukrainian raids and the creation of a buffer zone can help Russia prevent further cross-border attacks.

A year ago, the Russian president told another Russian offensive that it was intended to create a buffer zone in the Northeast Kharkov region of Ukraine. This could help protect the Russian border Belgorod region, where frequent Ukrainian attacks disturb the Kremlin.

Meanwhile, the Russian bombing campaign, which has escalated in recent days, slowed down last night, with many fewer Russian drones heading to Ukrainian cities.

Moscow’s invasion does not show signs of suspension, despite the months of intense efforts led by the United States, to ensure that fire and make progress in peace talks. Ever since the Russian and Ukrainian delegation met in Turkey on May 16 for their first direct negotiations for three years, the only tangible result was a major exchange of captives, but the negotiations did not lead to a significant breakthrough.

The US Special Messenger for Ukraine Keith Kate Kellog said that Putin had not yet provided the promised memorandum that Russian leader told US President Donald Trump in a telephone conversation on May 19 that he would outline the framework for a possible peace agreement.

The Kremlin also turned off the Vatican as a place to negotiate, he said. « We had a great desire for them to take place in the Vatican, but the Russians did not want to go there, so I think Geneva could be the next stop, » Kelloge told Fox News.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said his country is also ready to host a new round of peace talks.

Yesterday and today Russia launched 60 drones against Ukraine, Ukrainian Air Force reported. The Russian Ministry of Defense has announced that its defense systems have downloaded 99 Ukrainian drones overnight over seven Russian regions.

A sharp increase in Russian bombing over the weekend caused Trump’s reproach, who said Putin was « crazy ». This comment caused the Kremlin’s sharp reaction on Monday, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticizing the « emotional reactions » of events.

In the Sumsk region, the Russian forces are trying to advance deeper after taking over some villages, said Oleg Grigorov, head of the Regional Military Administration in the Sumsk region.

Ukrainian forces are trying to hold their positions, he said, adding that the villagers were evacuated earlier and there is no immediate threat to the civilian population.