Russia Envoy to UN: No point in ceasefire at moment, Kyiv might use ceasefire to stage provocations

According to Russia's First Deputy Envoy to the UN, Russia sees no point in agreeing to a ceasefire in Ukraine at the moment, reported Russia's state-run RIA media agency, as cited by Reuters. The First Deputy Envoy to the UN said that Russia believes that Kyiv may use any ceasefire to stage provocations and said that Russia has not struck residential areas of Ukraine's city of Odesa.  

These latest comments come after the FT reported over the weekend that Russian President Vladimir Putin had dropped his hopes for a deal with Ukraine and instead shifted to a so-called "land-grab" strategy.