Russia seizes Ukrainian border villages as its bombing campaign slows

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Russian forces have captured four villages in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, days after President Vladimir Putin ordered a buffer zone along the border to prevent future attacks. The long and vulnerable border with Ukraine has seen previous incursions, including a Ukrainian operation into Russia’s Kursk region last year. Meanwhile, Russia’s drone attacks on Ukraine slowed after an intense weekend bombardment, though tensions remain high. Peace talks since mid‑May have yielded little progress, with a prisoner exchange being the only concrete result. U.S. and Turkish officials are pushing for renewed negotiations, with Geneva or Turkey as potential venues. Donald Trump criticized Putin’s aggression, prompting mixed reactions from the Kremlin, the Associated Press has reported. Despite the captures, Ukrainian forces are holding the line, and civilians have been evacuated from affected villages.