New Attacks Hit Northern Ukraine, Where Russia Vowed to Ease Its Assault

A day after inconclusive peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, pessimism was growing on Wednesday about Russia’s willingness to tame its punishing attacks.

Local officials reported new attacks on the outskirts of Kyiv, the capital, and the northern city of Chernihiv, two areas where Russia had vowed to sharply reduce combat operations. The continuing fighting suggested that Moscow was in no hurry to end the war, despite claiming that it would de-escalate after the talks on Tuesday in Istanbul.

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that it was “regrouping” its forces around Kyiv, claiming that their aim had been to tie up and weaken Ukrainian troops in order to prevent them from joining the fighting in eastern Ukraine. “All these goals were achieved,” the ministry said, adding it would now focus on “the final stage of the operation to liberate” the Donbas area of eastern Ukraine. Read more

@nytimes