Russia has decided to drastically reduce its military activity in Ukraine, with a focus on Kyiv and Chernihiv, its deputy defence minister said on Tuesday, following talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiating teams in Istanbul.
Earlier, the Ukrainian emergency service reported that a rocket struck a regional administration building in the southern Ukrainian port city of Mykolaiv killing at least three people and injuring 22 others.
The attack occurred as Ukraine and Russia held their first face-to-face talks today in Turkey, raising hopes for a resolution.
Meanwhile, Russia’s defence minister has stated that Ukraine’s military capability has been severely weakened and that the country no longer has an air force. He also claimed that 600 foreign mercenaries had been killed in Ukraine in the last two weeks.
In other news, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to visit India this week, with the main focus expected to be discussions on a payment system for New Delhi’s procurement of oil and military hardware from Moscow, according to reports. It would be Russia’s highest-level visit to India since Moscow launched its military offensive against Ukraine on February 24.
