Vladimir Putin is trying to reduce expectations of a significant Russian advance around Avdiivka in the Donetsk region. In an interview with state television, the Russian president said that Russian troops are conducting “active defense” in the directions of Avdiyivka, Kupyansk, and Zaporizhzhia. Moscow forces are unlikely to make significant progress or block Ukrainian troops’ access to the city in the area. The Institute for the Study of War notes that short-term and possible large-scale progress will require large and long-term commitments of soldiers and equipment.

Highlights of the war in Ukraine, day 600, LIVETEXT:

06:35The head of Russian diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov, arrived in Beijing ahead of the expected visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to China on the occasion of the third forum of the New Silk Roads.

A quick summary of the latest information:

• Russia’s main offensive on Donetsk on Tuesday is failing, a Ukrainian commander claims, because Moscow’s forces are suffering serious losses. The commander of the 128th separate mountain assault brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Colonel Dmytro Lysyulk, said that the Russian army will not be able to enter Avdiivka.
• Armenian President Vahagn Gachaturyan announced the decision of the Armenian Parliament to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) after a brief debate on the project, which angered Russia.
• At least six people have been killed as a result of Russian attacks on Ukraine over the past day, local authorities said on Sunday. Two people were killed and three others were injured in the Kherson region after more than 100 shells were fired in the region last weekend, local governor Oleksandr Prokudin wrote on social media, reports AP.
• White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the new arms package for Israel and Ukraine will cost well over $2 billion. Sullivan said Joe Biden will hold extensive talks with the US Congress this week on whether to approve the package.
• Russian troops have improved their positions along almost the entire contact line in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin said on Sunday. “What is happening now along the entire length of St [liniei de] Contact is called active defense,” said the President of the Russian Federation.
• Volodymyr Zelenskyi thanked the troops in the areas where the fighting was “especially hot”. “Thank you to all those who are holding their positions and destroying the Russian troops,” said the President of Ukraine, mentioning Avdiyivka, Maryinka and other key points of the Donetsk region. .
• Ukraine is making efforts to evacuate almost 260 of its citizens from Gaza and other Ukrainians from Israel, Zelenskyi said on Sunday.

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• Sunday’s events related to Russian aggression were broadcast LIVE on HotNews.ro