Vladimir Putin's military command was preparing for a potential incursion into Russia's Kursk region months in advance, according to seized army documents.

Vladimir Putin has insisted that Ukraine accept the loss of the Russian-occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea as a precondition for peace talks.

Over 70,000 Russian soldiers have been confirmed killed in Ukraine since the Kremlin launched its invasion more than two and a half years ago, according to an independent tally by the BBC’s Russian service and the independent Mediazona news website.

According to calculations by Russian website Mediazona and the BBC, some 70,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. This estimate is based on official communiqués,