Ukrainian delegation arrives in Turkey for talks

A Ukrainian delegation has arrived in Istanbul, Turkey for peace talks with their Russian counterparts.

The delegation is led by Ukraine's defence minister, Oleksii Reznikov, as well as Mikhail Podolyak, the head of the president's office, reports BBC.

The group says their top priority is to secure a ceasefire, although there is scepticism about whether this is likely.

The face-to-face talks, the first in more than two weeks, will be hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 10:00 local time (07:00 GMT) on Tuesday.

Among other things, Russia is demanding that Ukraine abandon any intention of joining Nato - an issue Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is willing to compromise on.

Other thorny issues expected to be discussed include the fate of separatist-held regions in Ukraine's east, as well as the status of Crimea, which was formally annexed by Russia in 2014.