[🇺🇦] Monitoring Russian and Ukraine War.

[Saif]

Ukraine says suspected Russian FSB assassins killed in Kyiv region

Russian secret service agents were killed on Sunday in the Kyiv region during an operation by Ukraine's SBU intelligence agency to arrest them on suspicion of having shot dead an SBU colonel last week, Ukraine said. In a statement on the Telegram messaging app, the SBU said it believed agents of t

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Ukraine says suspected Russian FSB assassins killed in Kyiv region

REUTERS
Published :
Jul 13, 2025 16:33
Updated :
Jul 13, 2025 16:33

Russian secret service agents were killed on Sunday in the Kyiv region during an operation by Ukraine's SBU intelligence agency to arrest them on suspicion of having shot dead an SBU colonel last week, Ukraine said.

In a statement on the Telegram messaging app, the SBU said it believed agents of the Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) had been behind the killing of SBU colonel Ivan Voronych in Kyiv on Thursday and that it had tried to detain them on Sunday.

The SBU said two people were suspected of having killed Voronych, a man and a woman. It did not say how many suspected FSB agents had been killed in Sunday's incident.​

 

[Lulldapull]

Russia strikes Ukraine with 728 drones

Russia targeted Ukraine with a record 728 drones overnight, shortlyafter US President Donald Trump pledged to send more defensive weapons to Kyiv and aimed unusually direct criticism at Russian President Vladimir Putin.

www.thedailystar.net

Russia strikes Ukraine with 728 drones
Nato member Poland, allies scramble jets to ensure air safety; Trump vows to send more weapons to Kyiv

View attachment 19850
​

• Zelensky wants secondary sanctions on Russia's war income​
• Trump aims unusually direct criticism at Putin​
• Europe working on a new sanctions package against Moscow​

Russia targeted Ukraine with a record 728 drones overnight, shortlyafter US President Donald Trump pledged to send more defensive weapons to Kyiv and aimed unusually direct criticism at Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Ukrainian air defence units destroyed almost all the drones, including through electronic jamming systems, Ukraine's air force said on the Telegram messaging app.

Part of Russia's strike was aimed at a western region close to Nato-member Poland. The northwestern city of Lutsk, some 200 km from Poland, was the main target, Ukraine's President Zelensky said, listing 10 other provinces across the country where damage was also reported.

Polish and allied aircraft were activated to ensure air safety, Poland's Operational Command of the Polish armed forces said.

Buildings were damaged but no deaths or injuries reported in what amounted to the biggest air strike of the war on Lutsk, a city of 200,000 people, regional authorities said.

A storage facility of a local enterprise and some parking structures were ablaze, the mayor of Lutsk, Ihor Polishchuk said.

Ivan Rudnytskyi, governor of the Volyn region that includes Lutsk, said 50 Russian drones and five missiles were in the region's airspace overnight.

The attack, which follows a series of escalating air assaults on Ukraine in recent weeks, showed the need for "biting" sanctions on the sources of income Russia uses to finance the war, including on those who buy Russian oil, Zelensky said on Telegram.

Trump said on Tuesday he was considering supporting a bill in the Senate that would impose steep sanctions on Russia, including 500 percent tariffs on nations that buy Russian oil, gas, uranium and other exports.

"We get a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin ... He's very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless," Trump said at a cabinet meeting.

When asked by a reporter what action he would take against Putin, Trump said: "I wouldn't tell you. We want to have a little surprise."

Separately, Europe is working on a new sanctions package against Moscow.

Trump has shifted US rhetoric away from staunch support for Kyiv towards accepting some of Moscow's justifications for the full-scale invasion it launched in 2022.

But initial rounds of talks between Russia and Ukraine have so far borne little fruit.

​

These are all mainly customized S-136 variants. 20% -30% get thru and cause extreme havoc.......time n again. They're doing the same in Israel too, but censorship don't allow reality to leak out.

Chutiya colludz swallow the CNN/ BBC kool aid daily.......

So whats new here colludz fellas?.......

 

[Saif]

These are all mainly customized S-136 variants. 20% -30% get thru and cause extreme havoc.......time n again. They're doing the same in Israel too, but censorship don't allow reality to leak out.

Chutiya colludz swallow the CNN/ BBC kool aid daily.......

So whats new here colludz fellas?.......

Russia betrayed Iran. They did not supply SU-30 and S-400 when Iran needed them. Russia is a traitor.

 

[Saif]

In reversal, Trump arms Ukraine, threatens sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil

US President Donald Trump announced new weapons for Ukraine on Monday, and threatened to hit buyers of Russian exports with sanctions unless Russia agrees a peace deal in 50 days, a major shift in policy brought on by disappointment with Moscow. Sitting side-by-side with NATO Secretary General Mar

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

In reversal, Trump arms Ukraine, threatens sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil

REUTERS
Published :
Jul 14, 2025 23:38
Updated :
Jul 14, 2025 23:38

A launcher of a Patriot air defence system of the Ukrainian Air Forces is seen on the ground, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in an undisclosed location, Ukraine August 4, 2024. Photo : REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko/Files

US President Donald Trump announced new weapons for Ukraine on Monday, and threatened to hit buyers of Russian exports with sanctions unless Russia agrees a peace deal in 50 days, a major shift in policy brought on by disappointment with Moscow.

Sitting side-by-side with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office, Trump told reporters that he was disappointed in Russian President Vladimir Putin. Billions of dollars in weapons would be distributed to Ukraine, he said.

"We're going to make top-of-the-line weapons, and they'll be sent to NATO," Trump said, adding that Washington's NATO allies would pay for the weapons.

The weapons would include Patriot air defence missiles, which Ukraine has urgently sought to defend its cities from Russian air strikes.

"It's a full complement with the batteries," Trump said. "We're going to have some come very soon, within days... a couple of the countries that have Patriots are going to swap over and will replace the Patriots with the ones they have."

His threat to impose so-called secondary sanctions on Russia, if carried out, would be a major shift in Western sanctions policy. Lawmakers from both political parties in the United States are pushing for a bill that would authorise such measures.

Throughout the more than three-year-old war, Western countries have cut off most of their own financial ties to Moscow, but have held back from taking steps that would restrict Russia from selling its oil elsewhere. That has allowed Moscow to continue earning hundreds of billions of dollars from shipping oil to buyers such as China and India.

"We're going to be doing secondary tariffs," Trump said. "If we don't have a deal in 50 days, it's very simple, and they'll be at 100US."

A White House official said Trump was referring to 100US tariffs on Russian exports as well as secondary sanctions on other countries that buy its exports.

Trump, who returned to power this year promising a quick end to the war, said his shift was motivated by increasing frustration with Putin, who, he said, had talked about peace but continued to strike Ukrainian cities.

"We actually had probably four times a deal. And then the deal wouldn't happen because bombs would be thrown out that night and you'd say we're not making any deals," Trump said.​

 

[Saif]

Putin, unfazed by Trump, will fight on and could take more of Ukraine

President Vladimir Putin intends to keep fighting in Ukraine until the West engages on his terms for peace, unfazed by Donald Trump’s threats of tougher sanctions, and his territorial demands may widen as Russian forces advance, three sources close to the Kremlin said. Putin, who ordered Rus

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Putin, unfazed by Trump, will fight on and could take more of Ukraine

REUTERS
Published :
Jul 15, 2025 21:52
Updated :
Jul 15, 2025 21:52

Russian President Vladimir Putin tours a military hardware exhibition organised by the All-Russia People's Front political movement, in Moscow, Russia July 6, 2025. Photo : Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Pool via REUTERS

President Vladimir Putin intends to keep fighting in Ukraine until the West engages on his terms for peace, unfazed by Donald Trump’s threats of tougher sanctions, and his territorial demands may widen as Russian forces advance, three sources close to the Kremlin said.

Putin, who ordered Russian troops into Ukraine in February 2022 after eight years of fighting in country’s east between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian troops, believes Russia’s economy and its military are strong enough to weather any additional Western measures, the sources said.

Trump on Monday expressed frustration with Putin’s refusal to agree a ceasefire and announced a wave of weapons supplies to Ukraine, including Patriot surface-to-air missile systems. He also threatened further sanctions on Russia unless a peace deal was reached within 50 days.

The three Russian sources, familiar with top-level Kremlin thinking, said Putin will not stop the war under pressure from the West and believes Russia - which has survived the toughest sanctions imposed by the West- can endure further economic hardship, including threatened U.S. tariffs targeting buyers of Russian oil.

“Putin thinks no one has seriously engaged with him on the details of peace in Ukraine - including the Americans - so he will continue until he gets what he wants,” one of the sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.

Despite several telephone calls between Trump and Putin, and visits to Russia by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, the Russian leader believes there have not been detailed discussions of the basis for a peace plan, the source said.

“Putin values the relationship with Trump and had good discussions with Witkoff, but the interests of Russia come above all else,” the person added.

Asked for a comment on the Reuters reporting, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly blamed former President Joe Biden for allowing the war to erupt during his administration.

“Unlike Biden, President Trump is focused on stopping the killing, and Putin will be faced with biting sanctions and tariffs if he does not agree to a ceasefire,” she said.

Putin’s conditions for peace include a legally binding pledge that NATO will not expand eastwards, Ukrainian neutrality and limits on its armed forces, protection for Russian speakers who live there, and acceptance of Russia’s territorial gains, the sources said.

He is also willing to discuss a security guarantee for Ukraine involving major powers, though it is far from clear how this would work, the sources said.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said Ukraine will never recognise Russia’s sovereignty over its conquered regions and that Kyiv retains the sovereign right to decide whether it wants to join NATO. His office did not respond to a request for comment for this story.

A second source familiar with Kremlin thinking said that Putin considered Moscow’s goals far more important than any potential economic losses from Western pressure, and he was not concerned by U.S. threats to impose tariffs on China and India for buying Russian oil.

Two of the sources said that Russia has the upper hand on the battlefield and its economy, geared towards war, is exceeding the production of the U.S.-led NATO alliance in key munitions, like artillery shells.

Russia, which already controls nearly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, has advanced some 1,415 square km (546 square miles) in the past three months, according to data from the DeepStateMap, an open-source intelligence map of the conflict.

“Appetite comes with eating”, the first source said, meaning that Putin could seek more territory unless the war was stopped. The two other sources independently confirmed the same.

Russia currently controls Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, plus all of the eastern region of Luhansk, more than 70% of the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, and fragments of Kharkiv, Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Putin’s public position is that those first five regions – Crimea and the four regions of eastern Ukraine - are now part of Russia and Kyiv must withdraw before there can be peace.

Putin could fight on until Ukraine’s defences collapse and widen his territorial ambitions to include more of Ukraine, the sources said.

“Russia will act based on Ukraine’s weakness,” the third source said, adding that Moscow might halt its offensive after conquering the four eastern regions of Ukraine if it encounters stiff resistance. “But if it falls, there will be an even greater conquest of Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy and Kharkiv.”

Zelenskiy has said Russia’s summer offensive is not going as successfully as Moscow had hoped. His top brass, who acknowledge that Russian forces outnumber Ukraine’s, say Kyiv’s troops are holding the line and forcing Russia to pay a heavy price for its gains.

TRUMP AND PUTIN

The United States says 1.2 million people have been injured or killed in the war, Europe’s deadliest conflict since the Second World War. Neither Russia nor Ukraine give full figures for their losses, and Moscow dismisses Western estimates as propaganda.

Trump, since returning to the White House in January after promising a swift end to the war, has sought to repair ties with Russia, speaking at least six times by telephone with Putin. On Monday, he said the Russian leader was not “an assassin, but he’s a tough guy.”

In an abrupt break from his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden, Trump’s administration has cast the war as a deadly proxy conflict between Russia and the United States, withdrawn support for Ukraine joining NATO and floated the idea of recognising Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

Putin portrays the war as a watershed moment in Moscow’s relations with the West, which he says humiliated Russia after the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union by enlarging NATO and encroaching on what he considers Moscow’s sphere of influence, including Ukraine and Georgia.

Putin has yet to accept a proposal from Trump for an unconditional ceasefire, which was quickly endorsed by Kyiv. Recent days have seen Russia use hundreds of drones to attack Ukrainian cities.

However, Trump told the BBC in an interview published on Tuesday that he was not done with Putin and that a Ukraine deal remained on the cards.

The first source rejected Trump’s assertion last week that Putin had thrown “bullshit” around, saying there had been a failure to transform positive talks with Witkoff into a substantive discussion on the basis for peace.

A White House official said on Monday Trump was considering 100% tariffs on Russian goods as well as secondary sanctions on other countries that buy its exports as a means to drive Moscow to the negotiating table. China and India are the biggest buyers of crude.

Despite existing sanctions and the cost of fighting Europe’s biggest conflict since World War Two, Russia’s $2 trillion economy has performed far better than many in Russia or the West expected. The economic ministry forecasts a slowdown to 2.5% annual growth in 2025 from 4.3% last year.

The second person said that Trump had little leverage over Putin and suggested that even if Washington imposed tariffs on the purchasers of Russian crude then Moscow would still find a way to sell it to world markets.

“Putin understands that Trump is an unpredictable person who may do unpleasant things but he is maneuvering to avoid irritating him too much,” the source said.

Looking ahead, one of the sources said there was likely to be an escalation of the crisis in coming months, and unscored the dangers of tensions between the world’s two largest nuclear powers. And, he predicted, the war would continue.​

 

[Saif]

Russia defies Trump’s warning over Ukraine

Russia fired hundreds of drones, artillery and a ballistic missile at Ukraine between late Tuesday and early yesterday, Ukraine said, defying calls by Donald Trump to reach a peace deal.

www.thedailystar.net

Russia defies Trump’s warning over Ukraine

Fires hundreds of drones at Ukraine; one killed, dozens hurt; energy infrastructure hit

Russia fired hundreds of drones, artillery and a ballistic missile at Ukraine between late Tuesday and early yesterday, Ukraine said, defying calls by Donald Trump to reach a peace deal.

The attacks left one woman dead and wounded more than two dozen people across multiple regions, while a missile attack cut power and water in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's home city of Kryvyi Rig, according to authorities.

The bombardment came two days after US President Trump threatened to impose severe sanctions against the country unless it reached a peace settlement within 50 days to end its three-year war on Ukraine.

Ukrainian and Russian officials last met for direct peace talks more than a month ago, and no further meetings have been scheduled despite the Kremlin saying it is open for more talks.

Russia fired at least 400 drones at Ukraine between late Tuesday and early yesterday, as well as an Iskander ballistic missile launched from the annexed Crimean peninsula, the Ukrainian air force said.

Overnight drone attacks on the central Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia left eight wounded, while three were wounded in an attack on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, local authorities said.

Russian attacks on the city of Kryvyi Rig wounded at least 15 people, destroyed an industrial building and disrupted power and water supplies, according to local officials.

A 17-year-old boy was among those injured, the city's mayor Oleksandr Vilkul said on Telegram.

"He was wounded in the abdominal cavity. He was immediately taken to the hospital, in serious condition. Now doctors are fighting for his life," he wrote.​

 

[Saif]

Russia fires hundreds of drones at Ukraine

Russia fired hundreds of drones, artillery and a ballistic missile at Ukraine between late Tuesday and early Wednesday, Ukraine said, defying calls by Donald Trump to reach a peace deal.

www.newagebd.net

Russia fires hundreds of drones at Ukraine
Agence France-Presse . Kyiv, Ukraine 17 July, 2025, 02:13

Russia fired hundreds of drones, artillery and a ballistic missile at Ukraine between late Tuesday and early Wednesday, Ukraine said, defying calls by Donald Trump to reach a peace deal.

The attacks left one woman dead and wounded more than two dozen people across multiple regions, while a missile attack cut power and water in Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s home city of Kryvyi Rig, according to authorities.

The bombardment came two days after US president Trump threatened to impose severe sanctions against the country unless it reached a peace settlement within 50 days to end its three-year war on Ukraine.

Ukrainian and Russian officials last met for direct peace talks more than a month ago, and no further meetings have been scheduled despite the Kremlin saying it is open for more talks.

Russia fired at least 400 drones at Ukraine between late Tuesday and early Wednesday, as well as an Iskander ballistic missile launched from the annexed Crimean peninsula, the Ukrainian air force said.

Overnight drone attacks on the central Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia left eight wounded, while three were wounded in an attack on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, local authorities said.

Russian attacks on the city of Kryvyi Rig wounded at least 15 people, destroyed an industrial building and disrupted power and water supplies, according to local officials.

A 17-year-old boy was among those injured, the city’s mayor Oleksandr Vilkul said on Telegram.

‘He was wounded in the abdominal cavity. He was immediately taken to the hospital, in serious condition. Now doctors are fighting for his life,’ he wrote.

‘This has never happened before. A ballistic missile and 28 Shaheds simultaneously,’ he added, referring to Iranian-designed drones.

Russia has stepped up its summer campaign against Ukraine in recent weeks as Washington-mediated ceasefire talks stall.

Its army has pushed ahead on the battlefield, while pounding Ukraine with combined drone, artillery and missile strikes.

Trump said Monday he had struck a deal with NATO chief to supply more American air defence systems and weapons to Ukraine, citing his frustration with Russia’s refusal to accept a ceasefire.​

 

[Saif]

Zelensky says he and Trump are considering a drone 'mega-deal'

President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are considering a deal that involves Washington buying battlefield-tested Ukrainian drones in exchange for Kyiv purchasing weapons from the US, Zelensky said in an interview with the New York Post. Zelensky said his latest talks wit

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Zelensky says he and Trump are considering a drone 'mega-deal'

REUTERS
Published :
Jul 17, 2025 21:18
Updated :
Jul 17, 2025 21:18

US President Donald Trump Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky attend a meeting on the sidelines of NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands Jun 25, 2025. Photo : Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS

President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are considering a deal that involves Washington buying battlefield-tested Ukrainian drones in exchange for Kyiv purchasing weapons from the US, Zelensky said in an interview with the New York Post.

Zelensky said his latest talks with Trump focused on a deal that would help each country bolster its aerial technology.

Ukrainian drones have been able to strike targets as deep as 800 miles (1,300 km) into Russian territory.

“The people of America need this technology, and you need to have it in your arsenal,” Zelensky told The Post in the interview conducted Wednesday.

The Ukrainian leader said drones were the key tool that has allowed his country to fight off Russia’s invasion for more than three years.

“We will be ready to share this experience with America and other European partners,” he said. Ukraine was also in talks with Denmark, Norway and Germany, he said.

On Thursday, Zelensky announced unspecified future agreements with the United States which he said would strengthen his country, as he appeared in parliament to put forward his new government.

Next year’s US defence and national security budget request boosts spending on small drones - in part because of lessons learned during Russia’s war in Ukraine, where unmanned aircraft have proven to be an integral part of low-cost, yet highly effective fighting.​

 

[Saif]

Russia must be ready to strike West if it escalates Ukraine war, Medvedev says

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday that Russia had no plans to attack NATO or Europe but, if the West escalated the Ukraine war any further, then Moscow should respond and, if necessary, launch preemptive strikes. The remarks by Medvedev, reported in full by the TASS state n

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Russia must be ready to strike West if it escalates Ukraine war, Medvedev says

REUTERS
Published :
Jul 17, 2025 19:25
Updated :
Jul 17, 2025 19:25

Russia's Security Council's Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev attends a meeting of the Council for Science and Education at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in the Moscow region's city of Dubna, Russia June 13, 2024. Photo : Sputnik/Alexei Maishev/Pool via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY./Files

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Thursday that Russia had no plans to attack NATO or Europe but, if the West escalated the Ukraine war any further, then Moscow should respond and, if necessary, launch preemptive strikes.

The remarks by Medvedev, reported in full by the TASS state news agency, indicate that Moscow sees the confrontation with the West over Ukraine escalating after US President Donald Trump demanded a peace deal within 50 days.

Both Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Trump have repeatedly cautioned over the escalatory risks of the war, which both Moscow and the Trump administration cast as a proxy war between the world's two biggest nuclear powers.

Medvedev dismissed repeated NATO and Western European claims that Russia would one day attack a member of the US-dominated military alliance, but also said that Russia needed to be ready to respond "in full" should the West push any further.

"The statements of Western politicians on this topic are complete nonsense," Medvedev said, adding that Western officials were intentionally seeking to ratchet up tensions.

"We need to act accordingly. To respond in full. And if necessary, launch preemptive strikes," Medvedev was quoted as saying. He said that many in the West had "treachery in their blood" and an outdated view of their own superiority.

The Kremlin, asked about Medvedev's remarks, said that he had expressed his opinion and that his concerns about the "confrontational" environment of Europe were justified.

Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, was analysing Trump's threat to slap 100% secondary sanctions on the purchasers of Russian exports unless Putin agreed to a peace deal in 50 days.

Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, cast himself as a liberal moderniser when he was president from 2008 to 2012. But he has since emerged as an anti-Western Kremlin hawk. Diplomats say his remarks give an indication of thinking among some within the political elite.

WAR RHETORIC

The United States says 1.2 million people have been injured or killed in the war, Europe's deadliest conflict since World War Two.

Trump, who has repeatedly stated he wants to end the war, said on Monday that he was "very unhappy" and "disappointed" with Putin, though he cast his decision to send weapons to Ukraine as intended to jolt Russia towards peace.

Reuters reported on Tuesday that Putin intends to keep fighting in Ukraine until the West engages on his terms for peace, unfazed by threats of tougher sanctions, and that his territorial demands may widen as Russian forces advance.

Russia and the United States are by far the world's biggest nuclear powers, with about 87% of all nuclear weapons, followed by China, France, Britain, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea, according to the Federation of American Scientists.

"What is happening today is a proxy war, but in essence it is a full-scale war (launches of Western missiles, satellite intelligence, etc.), sanctions packages, loud statements about the militarisation of Europe," Medvedev said, according to TASS.

"It's another attempt to destroy the 'historical anomaly' hated by the West - Russia, our country," he said.​

 

[Saif]

Russia captures villages in three separate areas of Ukraine

Russia said Thursday it had captured Ukrainian villages in three separate areas of the front line, expanding its summer offensive despite US calls to end the fighting.

www.newagebd.net

Russia captures villages in three separate areas of Ukraine
Agence France-Presse . Moscow 18 July, 2025, 02:01

Russia said Thursday it had captured Ukrainian villages in three separate areas of the front line, expanding its summer offensive despite US calls to end the fighting.

Ukraine did not immediately comment on Moscow’s claims. In a statement, the Russian defence ministry said its forces had ‘liberated’ the settlements of Popiv Yar in the eastern Donetsk region, Degtiarne in the northeast Kharkiv region and Kamianske in the southern Zaporizhzhia region.

Kamianske, on the banks of the Dnipro river, was home to around 2,000 people before the conflict.

Degtiarne is a tiny hamlet near the Russian border, but lies in an area of the front line that Moscow’s forces had not penetrated since the early months of its offensive.

Popiv Yar is a small village south of the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk. The Russian military accelerated its advances for a third consecutive month in June.

Meanwhile, Russia gave Ukraine the bodies of 1,000 soldiers on Thursday as part of an agreement reached at peace talks last month, Moscow’s top negotiator said on social media.

Two rounds of negotiations in Istanbul between Moscow and Kyiv have failed to result in any progress towards a ceasefire, instead yielding large-scale prisoner exchanges and deals to return the bodies of killed soldiers.

‘Following the agreements reached in Istanbul, another 1,000 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers were handed over to Ukraine today,’ Russian negotiator and Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky said on Telegram.

Ukraine handed over 19 killed Russian soldiers, he added. He posted photos showing people in white medical suits lifting white body bags from the back of refrigerated trucks. Exchanges of captured soldiers and the repatriation of remains have taken place regularly throughout the conflict in some of the only successful diplomacy between the sides.

Despite pressure from US president Donald Trump, Russia has rejected calls for a ceasefire and the two sides appear no closer to agreeing an end to the three-year conflict.​