Turkey's Erdogan discusses Syria incursion plan with Russian leader Putin

Ankara tells Washington it wants 'concrete steps' on terror groups in Finland and Sweden

Rescuers carry the body of civilian from a residential building damaged by shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Reuters

Kharkiv, Ukraine's second city, is feeling the strain after coming under heavy Russian bombardment. Reuters

Ukrainian troops help an elderly man out of a damaged apartment building after an air strike in the city of Slovyansk in Donbas region. AFP

A school bus carrying Ukrainian refugees leaves Kharkiv. EPA

The pain of war hits this woman hard shortly after her apartment building in Slovyansk was damaged by Russian shelling. AFP

A crater scars the road surface in Slovyansk, Donbas. AFP

A Russian soldier oversees the loading of steel on to a Russian ship at Mariupol port in Ukraine. AP

European Council President Charles Michel, right, and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, left, talk before the second day's session of an extraordinary meeting of EU leaders to discuss Ukraine, energy and food security, in Brussels. AP

Rescuers extinguish a fire at a meat factory, amid fighting in Mykolaiv, Ukraine. Reuters

A man waits to collect water in Mariupol. AFP

Ukrainians cross a makeshift bridge built next to a destroyed structure, in the Kharkiv region. EPA

A destroyed tank in Mariupol. AFP

People charge electronic devices outside a theatre building, in Mariupol. Reuters

Pensioner Gennady Ivanov, 83, sits outside a residential building heavily damaged by shelling, in Mariupol. Reuters

Ukrainian firefighters try to extinguish a fire at a house that was hit by Russian strikes, in Kharkiv. AP

Russian Navy sailors of the Black Sea Fleet prepare to raise a sunken Ukrainian warship at the sea port, in Mariupol. AP

A Ukrainian soldier in the city of Lysytsansk, in the eastern region of Donbas. AFP

A boy, Yarik, plays in a playground in front a building destroyed during attacks, in Irpin. AP

Two Ukrainian soldiers enjoy a tender off-duty moment near the village of Stoyanka, Kyiv region. GettyImages

A girl in Kyiv looks at Russian weapons used in the attack on Ukraine. Reuters

Children play on a destroyed car in a residential area of Mariupol. AFP

Demonstrators hold Ukrainian flags at a charity telethon in support of Ukraine, in Berlin. Reuters

Ukrainian servicemen near Zaytseve village in Donetsk, Ukraine. EPA

A shell hole near a destroyed building in Zaytseve village. EPA

In the Saltivka district of Kharkiv, writing on the vans reads "warning, shelling" and "warning, passing by for civilians is prohibited". AFP

A heavily damaged residential building in the Saltivka district of Kharkiv. AFP

Ukrainian servicemen inspect a Russian amphibious vehicle near Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine. AP

A rocket launcher belonging to a "Donetsk People's Republic" militia is fired from its position not far from Panteleimonivka, eastern Ukraine. AP

The damaged building of the economics department of Karazin National University in Kharkiv. AFP

Karazin National University in Kharkiv came under heavy Russian bombardment. AFP

Ukrainian troops approach a destroyed military vehicle in the village of Rus'ka Lozova, north of Kharkiv. AFP

A bridge is a destroyed near Rus'ka Lozova, north of Kharkiv. AFP

A building after a Russian military strike in the town of Marinka, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Donetsk region. Reuters

An employee mows the lawn near a destroyed warehouse refrigerator, belonging to the Chanta factory, in Novi Petrivtsi, near Kyiv. AFP

Defiant Ukrainian service members ride on top of a military vehicle, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, on the road connecting Kostiantynivka and Bakhmut, in Donetsk region. Reuters

Vladimir Mihailovich, a solar plant manager, surveys a crater after the business in Merefa on the outskirts of Kharkiv was hit by Russian shelling. Reuters

A KA-52 helicopter gunship fires rockets on a mission at an undisclosed location in Ukraine. AP

Locals walk past a road damaged by shelling in a residential area in Kharkiv. EPA

Diana, on the train, waves to her mother Viktoriya and sister Kseniya as she leaves Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine. AP

Yana Skakova and her son Yehor, who fled from Lysychansk, sit in an evacuation train in Pokrovsk, eastern Ukraine. AP

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin have discussed Moscow's war in Ukraine and Ankara’s planned military operations in northern Syria.

It comes after Mr Erdogan revealed plans to launch a cross-border incursion against Kurdish militants in Syria to create a 30-kilometre buffer zone.

Mr Erdogan told Mr Putin in a phone call late on Monday that the frontier zone was agreed on in 2019 but had not been put in place, the Turkish presidency said.

Ankara carried out an operation against the Kurdish group YPG, or People’s Protection Units, in October 2019. Russia, the Syrian regime and the US also have troops in the border region.

Turkish officials consider the YPG to be a terrorist group linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which has waged an insurgency against Turkey since 1984, leading to the deaths of tens of thousands of people. However, the YPG forms the backbone of US-led forces in the fight against ISIS in Syria.

The US has not been happy with Turkey’s previous incursions into Syria.

Mr Erdogan also told Mr Putin that Turkey was ready to resume a role in ending the war in Ukraine, including taking part in a possible “observation mechanism” between Ukraine, Russia and the UN.

Negotiations in Istanbul held in March failed to make any headway but Turkey, which has close ties to both Kyiv and Moscow, has repeatedly put itself forward as a possible mediator.

The Turkish president also called for peace in Ukraine as soon as possible and for confidence-building steps to be taken.

In Washington, the National Security Council said National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan had called Ibrahim Kalin, chief adviser to Mr Erdogan, on Monday to discuss the two nations’ support for Ukraine, but also to voice caution about actions in Syria.

Mr Sullivan “reiterated the importance of refraining from escalation in Syria to preserve existing ceasefire lines and avoid any further destabilisation,” said Adrienne Watson, spokeswoman for the National Security Council.

Turkey wants 'concrete steps' on terror groups in Finland and Sweden

The Turkish official told Mr Sullivan that Ankara wanted to see "concrete steps" on the existence of what it calls "terrorist organisations" in Finland and Sweden before it would consider their Nato bids, Turkey's presidency said.

Turkey has objected to the two countries' joining the Western defence alliance on the grounds that they harbour people linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group and others it deems terrorists, and because Finland and Sweden halted arms exports to Turkey in 2019.

Mr Kalin had told Mr Sullivan that nations seeking to join Nato must "internalise the alliance's values and principles on security and counter-terrorism".

"It was emphasised that it is imperative for Sweden and Finland to take concrete steps regarding the terrorist organisations that threaten Turkey's national security," it said.

The White House said Mr Sullivan in the call "expressed support for Turkey’s continued direct talks with Sweden and Finland to resolve concerns over their applications for Nato membership, which the US strongly supports."

Sweden and Finland have said they condemn terrorism and are open to dialogue. All 30 Nato members must approve plans to enlarge the alliance.