(AFP) – Russia said on Saturday that it had seized three villages seized by Ukraine in the Kursk border region in a new setback in Kiev as peace talks approached.
Ukrainian President Voldimir Zelensky on Saturday appointed a high-level delegation, including a minister to meet US negotiators in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, calling for a repair of relations with President Donald Trump's administration.
The US says it wants to discuss the “framework for a peace agreement,” but the Ukrainian leaders were less specific.
“We want to discuss and agree on the necessary decisions and steps,” he said, emphasizing that Ukraine is “fully committed to constructive dialogue.”
The three-year war is at a critical time for Kiev after Trump halted access to US military aid and satellite imagery and intelligence sharing following his drop-off with Zelensky last week.
Ukraine still controls about 400 square kilometers (150 square miles) in the Kursk region after launching a cross-border attack last August, which Zelensky considers as a negotiation tip for peace negotiations.
However, the Ukrainian troops in Kursk have seen their position worsen in recent weeks as Russian troops invade.
On Saturday, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the recapture of three villages: Viktrovka, Nikolaevka and Starya Solochna.
According to Deepstate, an online military tracker associated with the Ukrainian military, the Russian move followed a “violation” of Ukrainian line of defense near the town of Sudzha, which is under Kiev's control.
Kyiv has not confirmed this, but the advancement appears to have cut off logistics routes Ukraine needed to supply its troops.
Ukrainian President Voldymir Zelensky said he was “fully committed” to what he was talking about.
Russia has already reclaimed more than two-thirds of Kursk's territory, which was first seized by Ukraine.
Ukrainian military general staff said on Saturday that 14 clashes were ongoing in the area amidst heavy artillery fire.
“From the beginning of the day, the enemy carried out 23 airstrikes, dropped a total of 33 guided airstrikes on military locations and densely populated areas, and carried out 362 artillery attacks.”
Small Russian military groups have also been attacked in recent weeks on the Smie region of Ukraine, adjacent to Kursk.
The Centre for Countering Disinformation in Ukraine on Saturday denied reports of a “large breakthrough” and said the small group was trying to cross but was being destroyed.
Peace negotiations remain distant as Kiev and Moscow are opposed to the demands at all. But Trump's return to the White House brought this prospect closer.
The US president fundamentally changed the US position and reached out to Russian President Vladimir Putin while criticizing Zelensky.
Senior US and Ukrainian officials are scheduled to meet on Tuesday for consultations on the war in Jeddah. Zelensky will also visit on Monday for consultations with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
A woman stands by the destroyed window of a destroyed apartment in Dobropilia
US envoy Steve Witkov said he would talk to Ukrainian negotiators about the “first ceasefire” with Russia and the “framework” for a longer agreement.
Zelensky said Ukraine will be represented by Foreign Minister Andry Sibiga and Defense Minister Resm Umerov, the president's chief of staff, Andry Yahmack, and vice-director Pablo Palisa, the respected military commander.
Trump says he wants to end the war as soon as possible, but Ukraine fears he will be forced to make heavy territorial concessions to Moscow.
Trump on Friday threatened new sanctions and tariffs against Russia over the Ukraine bombing.
Zelensky called on its allies to “increase sanctions against Russia” after overnight bombings in the East and Northeast.
The Russian attack crashed into the heart of Dubropyria in the East Donetsk region late Friday, killing 11 people and injuring 40 people, according to emergency services.
Separately, three people have been killed, while seven others were injured in a drone attack in the town of Bogodukiv, the military chief of the East Khalkiv region, Oleg Sinegbov said.
The latest strike comes after EU leaders, shaken by the prospect of leaving the US, agreed to boost the bloc's defense.
Putin “has no interest in peace,” said Kaha Karas, the European Union's foreign policy director, on Saturday, adding that “we must strengthen our military support.”
Three people have been killed and seven others have been injured in a drone attack on Bogodukiv city
Zelensky said on Saturday that Ukrainians and British diplomats had held a “very productive” speech in Kiev without giving details.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tass described the latest Russian attack as “what happens when someone appeases a barrage,” saying this would result in “more bombs, more aggressiveness.”
In Dobropilia, AFP saw evidence of burnt homes, flat market stalls and damage to cluster bombs.
59-year-old Irina Kostenko spent the night in the hallway with her husband. When she left the apartment on Saturday, she saw her neighbor “dead on the ground covered in blankets.”
“It was shocking, I don't have any words to explain it,” Kostenko told AFP.
