Russia on Monday rejected any peace talks with Ukraine despite Kyiv raising pressure on the Kremlin by claiming fresh advances in its offensive into Russian territory.
Ukraine sent troops and tanks over the border on Aug. 6 in a surprise incursion two-and-half years after Russia launched its invasion, and it says it makes new gains virtually each day.
The biggest attack on Russian soil since World War II has rattled Russia and penetrated several kilometers into Russia's Kursk region.