The Russian army Monday claimed to have captured another village in Ukraine鈥檚聽Dnipropetrovsk region, moving deeper into Ukrainian territory as peace efforts stall.
Russian forces are slowly but steadily gaining ground in costly battles for largely devastated areas聽in eastern and central Ukraine, normally with few inhabitants or intact buildings left.
Russia鈥檚 defence ministry said its forces had seized the settlement of Zaporizke in the region, which Russian troops recently advanced into for the first time in the three-and-a-half-year offensive.
Kyiv denies that Russian troops have gained a foothold in the聽Dnipropetrovsk region, an important industrial hub.
After another push by US president Donald Trump to broker a Ukraine-Russia summit, hopes for peace dimmed when Russia last week ruled out any immediate meeting between presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.
The central region of Dnipropetrovsk has previously been largely spared from fighting that has ravaged swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine, until Russia said its forces broke through in July. Dnipropetrovsk is not one of the five Ukrainian regions 鈥� Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Crimea 鈥� that Moscow has publicly claimed as Russian territory.
Ukraine said Russia had launched over 100 drones Monday, killing a 37-year old civilian driver and wounding two people in the northeastern Sumy region.
Moscow said Kyiv had launched about two dozen drones targeting western Russia.
Meanwhile, Germany is ready to held Ukraine obtain reliable security guarantees to ensure 鈥榣asting peace鈥� once the conflict with Russia ends, Germany鈥檚 vice chancellor said Monday on a visit to Kyiv.
Lars Klingbeil also said that Germany, Ukraine鈥檚 biggest military backer after the United States, planned to spend nine billion euros ($10.5 billion) supporting Kyiv this year and in 2026.
鈥楢s long as this war continues, we will stand by Ukraine鈥檚 side, because it is also about our freedom and our security,鈥� said the Social Democrat politician.
Kyiv is working with allies to hash out security guarantees seen as crucial in bringing the more than three-year-old war to an end.
Klingbeil, while noting discussions were in the early stages, stressed that guarantees would have to be reliable to 鈥榚nsure lasting peace鈥� for Ukraine.
鈥榃hat is important is that there are security guarantees in the end that ensure Ukraine is no longer attacked,鈥� he said.
The aim must be that Putin 鈥榥o longer dares to attack Ukraine in the way he has over the past three and a half years,鈥� he added.
鈥榃e as Germany must naturally also take on responsibility,鈥� added Klingbeil, who is also Germany鈥檚 finance minister.
He said there were two components he viewed as particularly important 鈥� that Ukraine has a strong army and that weapons production in Ukraine is ramped up.
Zelensky has also said that the presence of foreign troops in Ukraine once the war ends is also key.
While France and Britain have floated the idea of sending forces to uphold any peace agreement, Germany has sounded cool about the prospect.
Trump last week ruled out sending US troops but said he envisioned extending US air power as part of potential security guarantees.
Russia has repeatedly objected to Western troops being stationed in Ukraine.
Hopes for peace have dimmed after Moscow on Friday ruled out any immediate meeting between Zelensky and Putin, despite efforts by Trump to broker a Ukraine-Russia summit.
鈥楾he ball is now in Vladimir Putin鈥檚 court,鈥� said Klingbeil. 鈥楬e is the one who can stop the war immediately, who can stop the killings immediately.鈥�
