US President Joe Biden on Friday accused Russia of carrying out a "horrific atrocity," after a rocket attack on a train station packed with conflict evacuees in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk left at least 50 dead.
More than a month into President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has shifted focus to the east and south of the country after resistance halted plans to swiftly capture the capital Kyiv.
"The attack on a Ukrainian train station is yet another horrific atrocity committed by Russia, striking civilians who were trying to evacuate and reach safety," Biden said on Twitter.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported 300 were injured, saying the strike showed "evil with no limits," though Russia's defence ministry denied carrying out the attack.
Biden, in a separate statement, thanked Slovakia for giving Ukraine a Russian-made S-300 anti-aircraft air defense system, and vowed that "now is no time for complacency."
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has acknowledged that Russia has suffered “significant losses of troops” during its military operation in Ukraine.
“Yes, we have significant losses of troops and it is a huge tragedy for us,” Peskov said.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with British broadcaster Sky on Thursday, Peskov also hinted that the operation might be over “in the foreseeable future.”
The spokesman said that Russian forces were “doing their best to bring an end to that operation.”
“And we do hope that in coming days, in the foreseeable future, this operation will reach its goals, or we’ll finish it by the negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegation,” he added.
Ukraine and Russia are "constantly" holding peace talks online, Ukrainian negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak said in televised comments on Friday.
However, the mood has been affected by events including the deaths of civilians in the town of Bucha, Podolyak said.
Ukrainian officials accuse Russian troops of carrying out extra-judicial killings in Bucha, outside Kyiv. Moscow denies targeting civilians in Ukraine and has said the deaths in Bucha were a "monstrous forgery" staged by the West to discredit it.
The New Arab is providing live updates of what's been happening on the ground and additional analysis on the conflict's significance.