Russia's Defense Ministry claims to have captured two settlements in Ukraine's east, yet Kyiv has not confirmed. As direct negotiations are set to begin in Turkey, the conflict persists along a 1,100 km front.

Russian and Ukrainian negotiators will meet in Istanbul on Friday for their first peace talks in more than three years as both sides come under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to end Europe's deadliest conflict since World War Two.

After dangling the possibility of his attendance, Trump says he will stay away but still wants to meet up with Putin, further weakening the Istanbul talks.