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Ukraine’s attack on the Kursk region means Russia is not ready to hold peace talks for now, an aide to Vladimir Putin has said.

Moscow is not withdrawing its earlier peace proposals, but the invasion into Kursk means holding peace talks now would be “inappropriate”, Yuri Ushakov said in a video statement broadcast by the SHOT news outlet. 

Mr Putin said in June that Russia would end the war in Ukraine only if Kyiv agreed to drop its NATO ambitions and hand over four provinces claimed by Moscow.

Kyiv swiftly rejected the offer, with a Ukrainian presidential adviser saying last week that the Kursk invasion was required to convince Moscow to start “fair” peace talks.

Mykhailo Podolyak said Ukraine had no interest in occupying Kursk, but it had to force Russia to start talks on Kyiv’s terms.

“We need to inflict significant tactical defeats on Russia,” he said. “In the Kursk region, we clearly see how the military tool is objectively used to convince the Russian Federation to enter into a fair negotiation process.” 

Mandatory evacuation for families in Donetsk city – as Russia claims capture of another town in region

A mandatory evacuation order for families with children has begun in the city of Pokrovsk in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, as Russian forces advance.

Vadym Filashkin, head of the Donetsk regional administration, said a decision was made to “forcibly evacuate children” with their parents or guardians after an emergency meeting on the situation.

“When our cities are within range of virtually any enemy weapon, the decision to evacuate is necessary and inevitable,” he said in a post on Telegram.

Meanwhile, Russian media is citing the defence ministry as saying Russian forces have captured the Donetsk town of Zalizne.

Sky News cannot independently verify the claim.

Russian troops have been inching towards the key strategic hub of Pokrovsk for months. Its capture would compromise Kyiv’s defensive abilities and supply routes, and would bring Russia closer to its stated aim of capturing the entire Donetsk region.

This was the situation on the ground in the region as of Friday:

‘If you don’t want to see the war, you have to end the war’

An adviser to Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russians must force Vladimir Putin to enter peace talks on “fair terms” if they don’t want to see the war on their doorstep.

Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the head of the president’s office, claims that Mr Putin’s own forces are “destroying civilian infrastructure” in the Kursk border region and “looting shops and civilian homes”.

“Accustomed to seeing the war as a television show, Russians are now seeing it up close and personal,” he said in a post to X.

“You can no longer turn away, we will not allow it. 

“If you don’t want to see the war, you have to end the war by forcing your ‘leadership’ to make peace on fair terms.”