Russia’s Foreign Minister Lavrov says Kremlin ready for talks to end fighting in Ukraine

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says they are ready to sit down for talks to end the fighting in Ukraine.

Mr Lavrov said Russia submitted its demands to Ukrainian negotiators earlier this week and are still awaiting a response.

A first round of talks between the two countries took place on Monday, with no ceasefire agreement reached.

The next round of negotiations are due to take place later today, Mr Lavrov confirmed.

But despite agreeing to talks, Mr Lavrov added that Russia will not stop targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure.

The Foreign Minister also hit out at the West for continuously arming Ukraine, training its troops and building up bases to turn the country into a bulwark against Russia.

The “large-scale invasion” entered its eighth day on Thursday, with Russia pushing hard to capture the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

Several missile strikes hit Kyiv and its surrounding areas on Wednesday night, while the Ukrainian city has reportedly been taken over by Russian troops.

But Britain's Defence Ministry has released an intelligence statement saying the situation in Kherson “remains unclear", while also giving an overview on the current situation on Thursday morning.

The statement read: "The main body of the large Russian column advancing on Kyiv remains over 30km from the centre of the city having been delayed by staunch Ukrainian resistance, mechanical breakdown and congestion," Britain's defence ministry said in an intelligence update.

"The column has made little discernible progress in over three days. Despite heavy Russian shelling, the cities of Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Mariupol remain in Ukrainian hands. Some Russian forces have entered the city of Kherson but the military situation remains unclear."

"The Russian defence ministry has been forced to admit that 498 Russian soldiers have already been killed and 1,597 wounded in Putin's war. The actual number of those killed and wounded will almost certainly be considerably higher and will continue to rise."