The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross has arrived in Moscow for talks at the Russian foreign and defence ministries on humanitarian issues caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Peter Maurer, the ICRC president, was expected Wednesday to take up issues such as prisoners of war, the conduct of hostilities and the delivery of aid.
"The devastation caused by the conflict in recent weeks, as well as eight years of conflict in Donbas, has been vast," Maurer said in a statement, referring to the region of eastern Ukraine held by Russian-backed separatists.
"There are practical steps guided by international humanitarian law that the parties must take to limit the suffering," Maurer said.
Maurer travelled to Ukraine last week. While in Moscow, he was also expected to meet with the head of the Russian Red Cross, which has been helping people who have fled eastern Ukraine into Russia.
The Russian parliament has passed a law expanding military veteran status to troops taking part in the invasion of Ukraine.
Veteran status brings various benefits, such as monthly payments, tax breaks, discounts on utilities and preferential access to medical treatment, among other things.
Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, passed the law on Wednesday, four weeks since the start of the war in Ukraine, with the three required readings taking place at once.
Britain's defence ministry says the war in northern Ukraine is largely "static", with Russian forces trying to reorganise before resuming a large-scale assault.
Elsewhere in Ukraine, UK defence officials say "Russian forces are attempting to envelop Ukrainian forces in the east of the country as they advance from the direction of Kharkiv in the north and Mariupol in the south".
In an update posted Wednesday on social media, Britain's defence ministry said Russian troops in the south are trying to circumvent the city of Mykolaiv as they push west towards Odesa, a key Black Sea port that has so far been spared major attack.