The dispute erupted as both sides continued to stake out positions on territory and security guarantees.
Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022, controls about a fifth of the country, including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014. Moscow also claims the Donbas, the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, though they are internationally recognised as Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine wants to fight frozen along the current front lines, while Russia has demanded that Kyiv pull its forces out of areas of the Donetsk region that Russian troops have not captured.
Underlining Moscow’s stance, Putin told commanders on Monday to keep pushing to secure full control of the Zaporizhzhia region, where Russia says it already holds around three-quarters of the territory.
A senior Russian commander told Putin that Russian forces were about 15 km from the region’s largest city, also called Zaporizhzhia, and Putin responded that the offensive should continue.
Reuters