Ukrainian says Russia lost 4,300 men, 146 tanks, 27 aircraft, 26 helicopters in invasion

Mocow, Feb 27: Russian forces have lost about 4,300 servicemen during their invasion of Ukraine, deputy defence minister Hanna Malyar said on Sunday, adding however that the number was being clarified.

She also said on her Facebook page that Russian troops lost about 146 tanks, 27 aircraft and 26 helicopters.

Ukraine rejects Belarus talks, proposes other locations

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected a Russian offer of talks in Belarus, saying Minsk itself is complicit  in Moscow's attacks on his country.

But he left the door open to talks in other locations, in what would be the first negotiations since Russia started its military operation on February 24.

"Warsaw, Bratislava, Budapest, Istanbul, Baku. We proposed all of them," Zelenskyy said in an address posted online on Sunday.

Earlier on Sunday, the Kremlin said its delegation was ready to meet Ukrainian officials in the Belarusian city of Gomel. 

A Russian delegation had arrived in Belarus, a Kremlin spokesperson was quoted by the Ifax news agency as saying.

Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the delegation included officials from the foreign and defence ministries, and President Vladimir Putin's office.

Meanwhile, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko asked Kiev to sit down and hold talks with Russia so that Ukraine does not lose its statehood, Russia's RIA news agency reported.

Türkiye to focus on 'peaceful resolution'

Türkiye’s diplomatic actions and coordination with allies will always focus on how to achieve a quick and peaceful resolution of the Ukraine crisis, Fahrettin Altun, Turkish Presidency's Director of Communications, has said.

In a series of tweets on Sunday, he stressed that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has offered to mediate talks between Russia and Ukraine as Türkiye has "strong relations with both countries".

"We have repeatedly called for a diplomatic solution, but the war is a reality right now. The international community’s lack of unity over a number of regional and global issues has been a major problem just like it has over the Russia-Ukraine crisis," he added.

"This conflict brings us face to face with two tragedies," he said.

The first, he said, is the humanitarian challenge and Türkiye will do what’s necessary. "Just as we have been the leader on this front in other regional conflicts, we’ll do the same in this one."
"The second tragedy is the relentless attacks on truth. We are fully aware and working to confront disinformation and misinformation campaigns. In this war of information, we will stand with truth regardless of its source."

UN reports at least 64 civilian deaths in Ukraine

At least 64 civilians have been killed and more than 160,000 are on the move after Russian troops entered Ukraine this week, a United Nations relief agency has said.

"As of 5:00 pm on 26 February, (UN human rights office) OHCHR reports at least 240 civilian casualties, including at least 64 dead," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a status report.

It added the actual figures were likely to be "considerably higher".

Damage to civilian infrastructure has left hundreds of thousands of people without electricity or water. Hundreds of homes had been damaged, while bridges and roads hit by shelling, it said.

It cited the UN refugee agency as saying more than 160,000 people had been internally displaced and more than 116,000 forced to flee into neighbouring countries.