Russian president updates Israeli prime minister on Ukraine

MOSCOW

Russian President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, the Kremlin said Wednesday.

Naftali Bennett shared his assessments of the situation in Ukraine, taking into account his contacts with leaders from several countries, according to a Kremlin statement.

He also expressed ideas about ongoing negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian representatives.

"Vladimir Putin gave his assessments of the peace talks and the progress of the special military operation to protect Donbass," said the statement.

The leaders agreed to continue the talks.

The Russia-Ukraine war, which began Feb. 24, has met international outrage with the EU, US and UK, among others, implementing tough financial sanctions on Moscow.

At least 977 civilians have been killed and 1,594 injured in Ukraine since Russia began its attack on its western neighbor last month, according to UN estimates.

More than 3.62 million people have fled to neighboring countries, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a statement.