Russia Says It Will Continue Operations to Take Four Ukrainian Regions

Russian officials said military operations will continue until four Ukrainian regions are fully under their control. They described a recent Ukrainian proposal for a mutual halt to long-range strikes as an attempt to ease pressure on Ukrainian forces along the 1,250-kilometer front line.

Russian officials stated their long-range strikes have been more effective than Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil facilities.

Officials said increasing air defense production is now a top priority. They also said they expect U.S. representatives to resume peace efforts once tensions with Iran ease.