Russia not seeking Kharkiv capture, claims Putin
Russia is currently not seeking to capture Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv, President Vladimir Putin has claimed.
"There are no such plans today," he said at the end of his visit to China.
But he stressed that Russian forces were advancing in the north-eastern Kharkiv region to create a "security zone" for Russia's border region.
Mr Putin has spoken before of such a zone, but his public comments have not always reflected his aims in Ukraine.
Ukraine says the front line has stabilised, admitting that Russia has occupied a number of border villages.
Russia launched its offensive in the region last week, and fierce street fighting has been reported for the past several days in the key town of Vovchansk near the Russian border.
On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian troops had only managed to advance to the first of Ukraine's three defensive lines in the region.