Putin visits Kursk for first time since Ukrainian forces driven out - after Russian missile strike kills six

The Russian leader met with volunteer organisations and visited a nuclear power plant in the Kursk region, according to the Kremlin.

Russian forces drove out Ukrainian troops from the region, according to claims made by Putin late last month.

The move ended the largest incursion into Russian soil since World War Two.

Ukraine launched its attack in August last year - deploying drones and Western weapons to breach the Russian border - seizing almost 540 square miles (1,400 square kilometres) of the Kursk region at the peak of the invasion.

It's estimated that more than 159 Ukrainian drones were struck down over Russian territory - according to claims made by Russia's defence ministry on Wednesday.

The ministry added that the majority of these were shot down over western regions in Russia - however, there were at least six drones struck down over the Moscow region.

Read more: UK hits Russia with 100 new sanctions to 'ramp up' the pressure after Putin-Trump call

Read more: Trump says there's a 'good chance' of Russia-Ukraine peace but US has a red line in talks

'Bloodbath'

The Russian president's visit to Kursk comes after a Russian missile strike killed six soldiers and injured 10 more people during training in Ukraine's Sumy region - according to the country's national guard.

The commander of the unit has reportedly been suspended.

The strike comes as US president Donald Trump urged the warring countries to engage in peace talks, calling for a ceasefire.

The US president spoke to the Russian and Ukrainian leaders on Monday - as part of a move to persuade Moscow and Kyiv to agree to a ceasefire.

Following a two-hour phone call with Vladimir Putin, Russia and Ukraine will "immediately start negotiations toward a ceasefire".

Mr Trump said the call went "very well" and suggested peace talks will begin imminently.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office later on Monday, Trump said he has a red line on when he'll stop persuading Moscow and Kyiv to engage in peace talks - but he did not define what this is.

The US president added there are "big egos involved".

He also said: "This was a European situation, it should have remained a European situation."

Speaking of Putin, Trump said: "When are we going to end this bloodbath?", adding that he believes the Russian leader "wants to end [the war]."

"My whole life is deals, one big deal, and if I thought that President Putin did not want to get this over with, I wouldn't even be talking about it because I'd just pull out," Trump added.

Writing on his Truth Social network following the two-hour call with Putin, Mr Trump posted: "Just completed my two hour call with President Vladimir Putin of Russia. I believe it went very well.

"Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War.

"The conditions for that will be negotiated between the two parties, as it can only be, because they know details of a negotiation that nobody else would be aware of."

He added that the "tone and spirit were excellent", claiming that Russia wants to do large-scale trade with the US.

Meanwhile, the Russian leader described his call with Mr Trump as "informative, frank and very useful", RIA Novosti reported.

Moscow is reportedly ready to work with Kyiv on a memorandum on a future peace treaty, Putin was quoted by state media as saying.

He said: “It was a very informative and quite a frank conversation, and very useful in this respect. First of all, I thanked the US president for US support in resuming direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine on a possible peace agreement.

“The US president voiced his position on a ceasefire. For my part, I noted that Russia, too, favours a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis. We simply must determine the most effective ways of moving towards peace.”

'Dignified manner'

Meanwhile, Trump reportedly said Russia backs a peaceful resolution to the conflict despite only sending lower level diplomats to crunch talks on Friday.

Mr Trump reportedly held a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy before speaking to Putin.

In a Facebook post, Mr Zelenskyy said: "Ukraine is not afraid of direct talks with Russia, and it is important that the Russian leadership not prolong the war."

He said Russia's alleged "threats" to his delegation in Turkey last week were rejected, adding that his own team succeeded in "keeping the talks in a dignified manner".

"We are also prepared for a meeting at the level of leaders to solve the key issues," he added.

Ukraine's leader said he told Trump that Russia "might propose some particularly difficult conditions" for a ceasefire, which could be a "a sign that it is the Russian side that is unwilling to end the war".

Zelenskyy added: "I think we are still discussing the very possibility of strong and severe sanctions [on Russia]," he continued. "I don't yet have an answer to that question."

Zelenskyy said Monday's talks were "positive" and that Kyiv is weighing the option of bringing together "high-level" delegations from Ukraine, the US, Russia, and several European nations for a potential meeting.

He added: "Such a meeting could take place in Turkey, the Vatican, or Switzerland. We are currently considering these three venues, as all three countries - all three venues - are neutral."

It comes after Russia and Ukraine held their first direct talks since Putin launched his violent invasion in 2022 last week.

The Kremlin demanded it retains control of at least five Ukrainian regions should the war end, throwing hopes of a ceasefire into doubt.

Earlier on Monday, Mr Trump expressed his hopes for a "productive day" on Monday - and a ceasefire - in a social media posts over the weekend. His effort also included calls to Nato leaders.

But it came just hours after a Russian attack on a civilian bus in Ukraine’s northeast Sumy region.

The Sumy regional head said preliminary information indicates the passenger bus was hit by a Russian Lancet drone at 06:17am local time (03:17am GMT) on Saturday morning.

Mr Zelenskyy has called the attack "a deliberate killing of civilians."

After the attack, he said on X: "There are currently seven wounded people in hospitals following a Russian drone strike on an ordinary passenger bus. The victims have suffered burns, fractures, and blast injuries."