Recent comments by senior officials in both countries indicate they remain far apart on the key conditions for stopping the war.

Putin launches airstrikes killing five people just hours before peace talks in Istanbul - Kyiv and Moscow are still far apart on how to end the war and the fighting is stepping up

This comes after Ukraine launched a devastating attack against Russia's nuclear capable aircraft in a complex operation that took a year and a half to plan

Russian and Ukrainian officials are due to sit down on Monday in Istanbul for their second round of direct peace talks since 2022 with no sign they are any closer to an agreement, one day after Kyiv struck some of Moscow's nuclear-capable bombers.

Ukraine questions Russia's commitment to peace after Moscow failed to send its negotiation proposals to Kyiv before the meeting.

Hundreds of towns are under evacuation orders in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region where Russian forces are focussing their attacks, as Kyiv officials warn it could be preparing a new offensive.Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for 11 settlements on Saturday,