Insight Bureau: Russia on Tuesday called on Ukrainian forces to “immediately lay down arms”.
Russia also issued a new ultimatum for the defenders of the besieged port city of Mariupol to give up their resistance.
The Russian defence ministry called on Kyiv to show “reason and give the corresponding orders to fighters to cease their senseless resistance”, adding that defenders of Mariupol would be “guaranteed survival” if they laid down their arms starting at noon (0900 GMT).
“We once again call on the Kyiv authorities to show reason and give the corresponding orders to fighters to cease their senseless resistance,” the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.
The statement made no direct mention of a new ground offensive in eastern Ukraine.