The Russian Ministry of Defense said soldiers have advanced into the Dnipropetrovsk region in south-central Ukraine.

Russian forces on Wednesday advanced further into Ukraine's northern region of Sumy, threatening the regional capital after taking more than 150 square km (58 sq miles) of the area in less than two weeks,

Russia claimed Sunday that its forces are for the first time pushing into the central Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk, an area it has been trying to reach for months, in a move that could create new problems for Kyiv’s much-stretched forces.

Russian officials said Sunday that Moscow is still awaiting official confirmation from Ukraine that a planned exchange of 6,000 bodies of soldiers killed in action will take place, reiterating

Russia struck Ukraine with a thunderous aerial bombardment overnight, further dampening hopes that the warring sides could reach a peace deal anytime soon.

Russian officials say that Moscow is still awaiting confirmation from Kyiv on a planned exchange of 6,000 bodies of soldiers killed in action and is accusing Ukraine of delaying the process