Russia complains about "aggressive" Ukrainian troops

A senior Russian diplomat has complained to Türkiye about the "aggressive behaviour" of Ukraine's military, as fierce fighting continues on multiple fronts amid freezing winter conditions.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin spoke to reporters on Monday after meetings with Turkish officials in Istanbul, Russia's state-run Tass news agency reported. The diplomat criticized Ukraine and the US, accusing both of undermining potential peace talks, per Newsweek.

"We tried to provide Türkiye with detailed information about the real situation on the ground, highlighting the totally aggressive behaviour of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and its attacks on civilians in Donbas and other Russian regions," Vershinin said.

"It was crucial for us to make Türkiye understand the situation that Western media outlets keep distorting, unfortunately. False reports have popped up in large numbers."

Russian forces are still occupying swathes of Ukrainian territory, taken since Moscow's latest invasion began on February 24. Subsequent Ukrainian counter-offensives have liberated large areas north of Kyiv, around the northeastern city of Kharkiv, and around the southern city of Kherson.

Ukraine has also been striking targets across the border with Russia, including a suspected drone strike—attributed to Kyiv but not officially claimed—on strategic bomber bases used to launch the Kremlin's devastating infrastructure offensive.

Leaders in Kyiv have set their sights on the liberation of all Ukrainian territory occupied by Russian forces since 2014, including Crimea and parts of the eastern Donbas region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted on December 10 that a peace deal may be necessary to end the fighting, though showed no signs of downgrading his war goals. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia does not see any prospect for negotiations at this time.

Moscow, meanwhile, remains vague on the goals of what it calls its "special military operation." The Kremlin will want to retain control of the partially-occupied Ukrainian territories it claims to have annexed in Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Donetsk, and still alludes to regime change via so-called "de-Nazification" and demilitarization of the country.

Ukraine's counter-offensives in the south around Kherson and northeast on the borders of Kharkiv and Luhansk oblasts have slowed in recent weeks, partially due to difficult weather conditions. Ukrainian leaders have said they intend to keep momentum through the winter.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian defenders are locked in the brutal battle for the eastern city of Bakhmut, which Russian forces have been trying to seize for several months at a high cost. The Russian push on the Bakhmut area, spearheaded by the mercenary Wagner Group, has made it the hottest portion of the front.