This offensive action occurred just hours after Vladimir Putin professed a desire for peace and offered to engage in one-to-one talks, including with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, though he simultaneously undermined Zelensky's authority by stating he had no right to sign any peace agreements.

Russia has no intention of agreeing to a ceasefire with Ukraine, claiming it currently holds a strategic advantage on the battlefield, Russian Presidential Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov says in an interview with Sky News.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he's open to meeting Ukraine's Zelensky — but only in the “final phase” of talks. Zelensky, after a missile killed 28 in the capital, urged the world to increase pressure on Moscow,