Vladimir Putin has travelled to Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku to meet his counterpart, Ilham Aliyev, in his first visit since the invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago.
The Russian president arrived in the country yesterday for a two-day visit, during which talks will be focused on “international and regional problems”, the Kremlin said.
It comes as Russian forces are scrambling to tackle a surprise attack by Ukraine into Kursk, which Volodymyr Zelenskyy says is aimed at creating a buffer zone to protect his country.
The meeting follows reports in June of the EU and Ukraine asking Azerbaijan to facilitate discussions with Russia on a gas transit deal.
The EU has cut most of its Russian gas imports but some central European countries still depend on gas from Russia via a pipeline that crosses Ukraine. This includes Austria, which still receives most of its gas through this route.
Third Kursk bridge attacked by Ukraine, Moscow says
Russia says Ukraine has attacked a third bridge in the Kursk region invaded by Ukraine two weeks ago.
It says Kyiv’s forces struck and damaged a bridge over the Seym river yesterday.
Details of the latest bridge attack were revealed in a video statement from a representative of Russia’s investigative committee, which was posted on the Telegram channel of Russian state TV anchor Vladimir Solovyov.
A Ukrainian commander said yesterday that its air force had destroyed a strategic bridge over the Seym river in Kursk – the second attacked by Ukraine since Friday – limiting the supply capacity of a Russian group opposing the Ukrainian advance.
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