Russia claimed Sunday that its forces are for the first time pushing into the central Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk, an area it has been trying to reach for months, in a move that could create new problems for Kyiv’s much-stretched forces.

By Guy Faulconbridge, Anton Kolodyazhnyy and Aleksandar VasovicMOSCOW/KYIV (Reuters) -Russia said on Sunday its forces had advanced to the edge of the east-central Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk amid a public row between Moscow and Kyiv over peace negotiations and the return of thousands of bodies of soldiers who fell in the war.

Russia said its ground forces crossed into Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region for the first time, a symbolic milestone in their grinding offensive as prospects for a US-brokered ceasefire remain elusive.

Russia launched an intense missile and drone barrage at the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Friday and Russia's Defense Ministry said the strike on military and military-related targets