Russian delegation for Ukraine talks includes adviser, diplomats, defence, intelligence officials

FILE PHOTO: Russia's presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky attends the exhibition of Orthodox icons by Hiroko Kozuki, painter and wife of Former Japanese Ambassador to Russia Toyohisa Kozuki, in Moscow, Russia April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/File Photo

(Reuters) - Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin announced late on Wednesday Russia's delegation to direct talks with Ukraine on settling the war, including an adviser to the president, a top diplomat and senior military and intelligence officials.

An order issued by Putin and appearing on the Kremlin website said the delegation included adviser Vladimir Medinsky and Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin, who took part in the last talks held between the two sides in 2022 in the weeks following Moscow's full-scale invasion of its neighbour.

Also named as part of the delegation was Igor Kostyukov, director of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the GRU, Russia's Foreign Military Intelligence Agency.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Chris Reese)