Russia’s Defense Ministry claims that Russian troops have fought their way into the center of a strategically important eastern Ukraine town and raised the Russian flag there after a monthslong battle.

Russia says it shot down more than 120 drones overnight, in what would be one of the largest attacks of the war.

Russia on Thursday rejected the idea of NATO countries sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire in the war with Russia, saying such a move would threaten to cause an "uncontrollable escalation".

Russia "will strive to make this decision part of the Alliance's policy," the state-controlled news agency quotes the diplomat as saying. Grushko described it as "one of the key elements of a possible agreement" and a component "related to eliminating the root causes" of Russia's war against Ukraine.