Russia claims military advances

MOSCOW/KYIV — Russia said it had captured a strategic town in the Donetsk region after nearly 16 months of fighting, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the claim as "disinformation".

Russia's Defense Ministry said on Thursday that its forces took full control of the strategically important city of Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region.

However, Victor Tregubov, a Ukrainian military spokesman, told The Associated Press that Russia's claim was untrue. "Just a fabrication, there wasn't even a change in the situation," he said.

A report on Thursday from Ukraine's Army General Staff said there were seven clashes in Chasiv Yar in the past 24 hours. An attached map showed most of the town as being under Russian control.

"Ukrainian units are holding our positions," Zelensky said in his daily video address on Thursday evening. "It is not easy, but it is the defense of Ukrainians' very right to life."

Russian and Ukrainian troops have battled for control of Chasiv Yar for nearly 18 months. It includes a hilltop from which troops can attack other key points in the region that form the backbone of Ukraine's eastern defenses.

Meanwhile, in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital city observed a day of mourning after the deadliest attack in the city this year ripped open a nine-story residential building, wounding 159 people and killing 31 people in all.

The latest developments on the battlefield come as a top Ukrainian official said that Kyiv's partners had "confirmed positive signals" about imminent White House pressure on Moscow.

"Our partners confirmed positive signals from the White House regarding firm actions against the Russian Federation — particularly on sanctions targeting Russian oil and secondary tariffs following the end of the 10-day deadline set by President Donald Trump," Andriy Yermak wrote on X.

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump made clear that he wants a deal to end the fighting in Ukraine by Aug 8, the United States told the United Nations Security Council.

"Both Russia and Ukraine must negotiate a ceasefire and a durable peace. It is time to make a deal. President Trump has made clear that this must be done by Aug 8. The United States is prepared to implement additional measures to secure peace," senior US diplomat John Kelley told the 15-member council.

Trump said on Tuesday that the United States would start imposing tariffs and other measures on Russia"10 days from today" if Moscow showed no progress.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Russia after his current trip to Israel, Trump said on Thursday.

Talking about prospects of negotiations with Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that he hoped peace talks between Russia and Ukraine would continue and that working groups could discuss potential compromises, but said Moscow's goals remained unchanged.

Putin, who was talking alongside Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, said talks should be conducted "without cameras and in a calm atmosphere".

"As for any disappointments on the part of anyone, all disappointments arise from inflated expectations," he said.

Kyiv and Moscow have held three rounds of talks in Istanbul this year that yielded exchanges of prisoners and bodies, but no breakthrough to defuse the more than three-year conflict.

In Europe, Germany said on Friday that it will deliver two Patriot systems to Ukraine after reaching an agreement with the US that Berlin will be first in line to receive the latest systems in return.

The Bundeswehr army will initially deliver additional Patriot launchers to Ukraine in the coming days, followed by additional system components to be handed over in two or three months.

Xinhua