The Russia-Ukraine conflict marks its third year by hosting news that Russian forces took control of two Ukrainian villages during Wednesday. Novomlynsk in the Kharkiv region became a Russian-controlled area according to the Russian Defence Ministry even though their forces surpassed the Oskil River as a defensive boundary. Troops of Baranivka gained control of the territory which lies to the north of Ocheretyne as they kept extending their advances in the eastern battlefields.
The Ukrainian capital Kyiv along with its forces continues to face difficulties against Russian military strength as these forces push forward in small steps across the region for multiple months. Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated his readiness to start peace discussions though he explicitly rejected any talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
A powerful explosion struck a wealthy Moscow neighborhood where two individuals died and various people sustained injuries thus escalating the existing tensions. The authorities have not identified the source that initiated the explosion. 
Both parties involved in the three-year-long conflict maintain their power struggles because they are seeking advantages before potential peace negotiations. These daily reports of Russian territorial conquests show that the offensive continues in a slow permanent fashion but Ukrainian troops still battle to protect their ground.
People in the international community monitor the ongoing war as they seek progress in peace talks while expecting further war escalation.
