Delegates from Ukraine and Russia have gathered for talks for the first time since the invasion started last week.

The talks are expected to get underway at the border between Ukraine and Belarus.

The Ukrainian delegation includes Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for talks to prevent more lives from being lost.

Ukrainian officials insisted the talks be held without preconditions.

The Russian delegation is led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky. The Russian side is demanding what it calls "demilitarization" of Ukraine, as well as a guarantee it will remain neutral. Moscow apparently wants legal assurance that Ukraine won't join NATO.

On the ground in Ukraine, Russian troops continue to advance toward Kyiv and other major cities.

Reports say they are facing fierce counterattacks from Ukrainian forces.

Media reports quoting Ukrainian officials say at least 352 civilians, including 14 children, have been killed since the start of the invasion.

Satellite imagery taken on Sunday showed a large convoy of Russian ground forces about 64 kilometers from the capital.
The image from Maxar Technologies shows a line of hundreds of military vehicles, including tanks. It extended for more than 5 kilometers.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his country's deterrence forces to be put on high alert. They include nuclear weapons.

US officials say Putin is responding to an imaginary threat.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, "At no point has Russia been under threat from NATO, has Russia been under threat from Ukraine. This is really a pattern that we've seen from President Putin through the course of this conflict, which is manufacturing threats that don't exist in order to justify further aggression."

And the Japanese government has also reacted to Putin's comments.

Prime Minister Kishida Fumio said, "The reference to nuclear arms is a dangerous act that could further destabilize the situation. Japan, as the only nation to have suffered atomic bombings, needs to highlight the problem."

Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno Hirokazu says Japan condemns Belarus for supporting Russia's invasion by allowing Russian military use of its territory.

He said Japan's government is considering sanctions against senior officials of Belarus.

The UN refugee agency says about 368,000 people from Ukraine have fled to neighboring countries in eastern Europe.