War zone| Moscow’s seizure amid truce efforts comes days after Putin order to establish a buffer zone along the frontier

Agencies Kyiv

Russian forces have taken four border villages in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region, a local official said on Tuesday, days after Russian President Vladimir Putin said he had issued an order to establish a buffer zone along the border.

Sumy borders Russia's Kursk region, where a surprise Ukrainian incursion last year captured a pocket of land in the first occupation of Russian territory since World War II. Creating a buffer zone could help Russia prevent further Ukrainian cross-border attacks there. Meanwhile, a Russian bombing campaign that had escalated in recent days slowed overnight as far fewer Russian drones targeted Ukrainian towns and cities.

Moscow's invasion has shown no signs of stopping despite months of intense US-led efforts to secure a ceasefire and get traction for peace talks. Since Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Turkiye earlier this month for their first direct talks in three years, a large prisoner exchange has been the only tangible outcome, but negotiations have brought no significant breakthrough.

Between Friday and Sunday, Russia launched around 900 drones at Ukraine, officials said, amid a spate of large-scale bombardments. On Sunday night, Russia launched its biggest drone attack of the three-year war against Ukraine, firing 355 drones.