MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian negotiators are flying to Turkey for the first peace talks with Ukraine in more than seven weeks, Russian news agencies reported on Wednesday. State agency TASS said talks would take place later on Wednesday in Istanbul.

Ahead of the meeting of Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Turkey for the third round of direct talks, the Kremlin has set the tone by saying that any ‘miracle’ should not be expected today. The talks come at a time when Russia has intensified the war with increased aerial attacks and advances on the ground.

Ukraine said it would send a high-level negotiating team to Turkey peace talks with Russia, even as Moscow wrote off the talks before they had started.