Russia will only agree to security guarantees for Ukraine if it has the power to veto them, its foreign minister has said. Sergei Lavrov said that any attempt to bolster Ukrainian security that did not involve Moscow was a “road to nowhere” and “will not work”.

A Russian drone attack on Ukraine’s Sumy region, with residential neighborhoods in Okhtyrka, hit overnight on August 20. The assault, which saw Russia launch 15 drones and a ballistic missile, occurred as Trump pushes for a resolution to the Ukraine conflict.

Russia is ramping up a grinding summer offensive in eastern Ukraine as Kyiv appeals to President Donald Trump for more military aid and intensified pressure on Moscow.