Sumy Governor Oleh Hryhorov said on the Telegram app that four border villages in Sumy - Zhuravka, Veselivka, Basivka and Novenke - were in a "grey zone" due to Russian attacks, but were not under Russian control.

Russia said on Monday it was ready to negotiate directly with Ukraine, but that recognition of its claims over five Ukrainian regions including Crimea were "imperative" to resolving the conflict.

Russia's stance on resolving the conflict in Ukraine remains unchanged, stated Sergey Lavrov in a press interview. According to the Russian Foreign Minister, it is "imperative" that the international community recognizes Crimea and other territories of Ukraine controlled by Russia as Russian.

After Russia claimed to have retaken the Kursk region from Ukraine, North Korea acknowledged for the first time that it had sent soldiers to fight in Moscow’s war.

Russian media shared video footage from the country's defense ministry that showed North Korean troops in action, following the first official confirmation from Pyongyang and Moscow of their involvement in the Ukraine war.

North Korea confirmed for the first time on Monday that it had sent troops to fight for Russia in the war in Ukraine under orders from leader Kim Jong Un.