A South African allegedly recruited to fight for Russia recounts the horrors of war in Ukraine via voice notes.

The attack came as U.S. officials were expected to hold peace talks with Ukrainian and Russian officials in the coming days.

In a series of hardline statements -- his most extensive comments on the latest U.S.-proposed peace plan to date -- Putin repeated some of Russia's most hardline demands, including that Ukrainian troops must withdraw from territory Moscow claims. Putin ruled out signing any ceasefire deal before Ukrainian troops withdraw.