On Saturday, Russian soldiers bombarded Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region but failed to capture three target areas, according to Ukraine’s military, while Moscow claimed that Western sanctions and arms shipments to Ukraine were obstructing peace talks.

The Russians were attempting to take the areas of Lyman in Donetsk, Sievierodonetsk, and Popasna in Luhansk; according to a daily briefing from the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces. “We’re not succeeding – the fight goes on,” it stated.

In statements released early Saturday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that eliminating Western sanctions on Russia was part of the peace discussions; which he described as arduous but ongoing daily via video link.

Since the Russian invasion began on February 24; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has stated that sanctions must be increased and that they cannot be part of any negotiations. On Friday, he claimed there was a good chance the discussions will end because of Russia’s “playbook on murdering people.”