From 17h ago 09.18 EDT Ukraine accuses Russia of 'dirty games' over PoW swap delay claims Here’s some more from Agence France-Presse (AFP) on the comments by Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. In a statement, it said that there was no fixed date for the return of bodies and that Russia was not sticking to the agreed parameters of the PoW swap, accusing Moscow of “dirty games” and “manipulations.” Share Updated at 09.35 EDT 16h ago 10.38 EDT Closing summary It is approaching 6pm in Kyiv and Moscow. This blog will be closing shortly, but you can keep you to date with the Guardian’s Russia-Ukraine coverage here.
Here is a summary of today’s developments: Russian strikes on the Ukrainian cities of Kherson and Kharkiv early on Saturday killed at least five people, officials said . A strike on a high-rise building in Kherson killed a couple, said Oleksandr Prokudin, the regional governor. Russia hit Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, with missiles, Shahed drones and guided bombs before dawn on Saturday, killing three people in what the mayor, Igor Terekhov, described as the “most powerful attack” there since the start of the war.
A one-month-old baby and a 14-year-old girl were among the 22 injured. The Ukrainian air force said Russia had fired 206 drones and nine missiles in the overnight barrage, while Terekhov said the attack on Kharkiv also damaged 18 apartment buildings and 13 private homes. Citing preliminary data, he said Russia used 48 Shahed drones, two missiles and four aerial glide bombs in the attack.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha described Russia as continuing “its terror against civilians”, after the overnight attacks. “To put an end to Russia’s killing and destruction, more pressure on Moscow is required, as are more steps to strengthen Ukraine,” he said. 1:30 Kharkiv hit by ‘most powerful attack since start of war’ in Ukraine – video In the Dnipropetrovsk province, two women aged 45 and 88 were injured, according to local governor Serhii Lysak .
Attacks were also recorded on the Odesa and Ternopil regions. Rescuers in the western city of Lutsk, near the Polish border, meanwhile discovered a second fatality from strikes a day earlier, describing the victim as a woman in her 20s. Russian forces carried out strikes using high-precision long-range weapons and drones on military targets in Ukraine overnight, the Russian defence ministry said on Saturday.
“The objective of the strikes has been achieved. All designated targets have been hit,” the ministry said. Four Ukrainian unmanned boats have also been destroyed in the Black Sea, Russian news agencies reported, citing the ministry.
Russia on Saturday accused Ukraine of postponing a large-scale prisoner swap and the repatriation of the bodies of dead soldiers they had agreed on during peace talks in Istanbul. “The Ukrainian side has unexpectedly postponed for an indefinite period, both the acceptance of the bodies and the exchange of prisoners of war,” Russia’s top negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said on social media. Responding to Russia’s accusations, Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War accused Moscow of “dirty games” and “manipulations”.
In a statement, it said that there was no fixed date for the return of bodies and that Russia was not sticking to the agreed parameters of the PoW swap. Russian aviation authorities restricted flights at Moscow regional airports on Friday night as the capital came under threat from Ukrainian drones. It was the third suspension since the night of Thursday 5 June.
Russia was attacked with at least 82 Ukrainian drones in areas including the Moscow region over eight-and-a-half hours, the Russian defence ministry said early on Saturday. The Moscow mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said another six drones had been headed for the capital. Russia’s defence ministry said on Saturday that its forces had downed 36 Ukrainian drones fired at its territory.
Brazil’s president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Saturday called on the United Nations to assemble a group of countries tasked with seeking a resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The initiative, which Lula made at a news conference during a visit to France, comes after French president Emmanuel Macron this week said Brazil had “a very important role to play” in the resolution of the conflict. Ukraine’s air forces shot down a Russian Su-35 fighter jet on Saturday morning, the Ukrainian military said.
“This morning, on 7 June 2025, as a result of a successful air force operation in the Kursk direction, a Russian Su-35 fighter jet was shot down,” the military said on the Telegram messenger. It gave no more details. Russian forces have not yet commented on the matter while Reuters could not independently verify the report.
A Ukrainian drone attack last weekend likely damaged about 10% of Russia’s strategic bomber fleet and hit some of the aircraft as they were being prepared for strikes on Ukraine, a senior German military official said. “According to our assessment, more than a dozen aircraft were damaged, TU-95 and TU-22 strategic bombers as well as A-50 surveillance planes,” German Maj Gen Christian Freuding said in a YouTube podcast reviewed by Reuters before its publication later on Saturday. Germany’s armed forces have three years to acquire the equipment to tackle a possible Russian attack on Nato territory, its head of military procurement said.
“Everything necessary to be fully prepared to defend the country must be acquired by 2028,” Annette Lehnigk-Emden, head of the federal office for military procurement, told the Tagesspiegel newspaper. Share Updated at 10.41 EDT 17h ago 09.55 EDT Brazil's Lula urges UN to take lead role in Russia-Ukraine peace efforts Brazil’s president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Saturday called on the United Nations to assemble a group of countries tasked with seeking a resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP). The initiative, which Lula made at a news conference during a visit to France, comes after French president Emmanuel Macron this week said Brazil had “a very important role to play” in the resolution of the conflict.
A second round of direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine opened this week in Istanbul, after a first round failed to secure a pause in more than three years of fighting. “The UN can become a protagonist in this matter again,” Lula said, calling UN secretary general António Guterres “a good man”. The UN chief should “propose a group of friends” to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who would then “talk with them both, listen to their respective truths and then build an alternative”, Lula said.
“What I am proposing is the creation of a commission consisting of countries that are not involved in the war to talk with Zelenskyy and Putin,” he said, reports AFP. Neither side would “get what they want but they can get what is possible”, he said. “Neither 100 per cent of Zelenskyy’s position, nor 100 per cent of Putin’s position.” In contrast to most European countries, Lula maintains friendly relations with Moscow and has observed a position of neutrality towards the conflict in Ukraine.
Lula, who in July is to host the next summit of the Brics group of nations in Rio de Janeiro, said that Putin was invited to the meeting despite a warrant for his arrest issued by the international criminal court over alleged unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. Share 17h ago 09.38 EDT Responding to Russia’s accusations, Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said no date had been agreed for the return of bodies. It also said a list of names Russia said would be released did not match the terms of the agreement.
“Unfortunately, instead of constructive dialogue, we are again faced with manipulations,” it said in a statement on social media, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP). “We call on the Russian side to stop playing dirty games and return to constructive work to bring people back to both sides and to clearly implement the agreement in the coming days,” it added. The exchange was to be the largest of the war, topping last month’s 1,000-for-1,000 swap that was agreed at a first round of talks in Istanbul.
After the Istanbul talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it would take place this weekend, while Russia said it was ready for Saturday, Sunday or Monday. Share 17h ago 09.18 EDT Ukraine accuses Russia of 'dirty games' over PoW swap delay claims Here’s some more from Agence France-Presse (AFP) on the comments by Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. In a statement, it said that there was no fixed date for the return of bodies and that Russia was not sticking to the agreed parameters of the PoW swap, accusing Moscow of “dirty games” and “manipulations.” Share Updated at 09.35 EDT 17h ago 09.10 EDT We’ve been reporting on Russia’s attack on the second largest Ukrainian city of Kharkiv with drones, missiles and guided bombs, killing at least three people and injuring 22, including a one-month-old baby, the mayor, Ihor Terekhov, said.
As we noted in our post at 08.17 BST, Kharkiv is located just a few dozen kilometres from the Russian border and has been under constant shelling during more than three years of war. “It was a horrible morning in Kharkiv, which was hit by 48 Shaheds [Russain attack drones], four guided bombs and two missiles. Civilian infrastructure and residential buildings were hit,” Terekhov told Reuters.
Here is a video report on the story: 1:30 Kharkiv hit by ‘most powerful attack since start of war’ in Ukraine – video Share Updated at 09.40 EDT 18h ago 08.51 EDT Ukraine says PoW swap has been moved to next week and disputes Russia's claims Petro Yatsenko from the Coordination for PoW HQ said that the exchange of prisoners and bodies agreed at the last round of talks in Istanbul, has been moved to next week, reports the BBC. Citing a statement from his office, the BBC reports that Yatsenko said that “statements by representatives of the aggressor state regarding the alleged start of the return of bodies or repatriation measures following agreements in Istanbul are not true”. Earlier, we heard from Russia’s negotiator Vladimir Medinsky, who accused Ukraine of pulling out of the prisoner swap (see 12.44pm BST).
Yatsenko’s office said preparations are still under way for the exchange of seriously ill and severely injured individuals, young people, and the return of the bodies of soldiers. The statement adds: Any unilateral statements or actions by representatives of the aggressor state are yet another manipulation concerning the sensitive and important issue of repatriating the bodies of our defenders. Share Updated at 09.18 EDT 18h ago 08.30 EDT The Russian defence ministry said on Saturday that Ukraine is refraining from setting a date for the new round of prisoner exchange, agreed by Russian and Ukrainian delegations at talks in Istanbul earlier this week, reports Reuters.
“The Russian side has provided the Ukrainian side with a list of 640 names, but the Ukrainian side is currently refraining from setting a date for the return of these individuals and the transfer of the corresponding number of Russian prisoners of war,” the ministry said in a statement, citing Lt Gen Alexander Zorin. Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky said earlier on Saturday that Ukraine had unexpectedly postponed exchanging prisoners of war and accepting the bodies of killed soldiers for an indefinite period. Share 18h ago 08.18 EDT A Ukrainian drone attack last weekend likely damaged about 10% of Russia’s strategic bomber fleet and hit some of the aircraft as they were being prepared for strikes on Ukraine, a senior German military official said, reports Reuters.
“According to our assessment, more than a dozen aircraft were damaged, TU-95 and TU-22 strategic bombers as well as A-50 surveillance planes,” German Maj Gen Christian Freuding said in a YouTube podcast reviewed by Reuters before its publication later on Saturday. The affected A-50s, which function similarly to Nato’s AWACS (airborne warning and control system) aircraft by providing aerial situational awareness, were likely non-operational when they were hit, said the general who coordinates Berlin’s military aid to Kyiv and is in close touch with the Ukrainian defence ministry. “We believe that they can no longer be used for spare parts.
This is a loss, as only a handful of these aircraft exist,” he said. “As for the long-range bomber fleet, 10% of it has been damaged in the attack according to our assessment.” The United States estimates that Ukraine’s drone attack hit as many as 20 Russian warplanes, destroying about 10 of them, two US officials told Reuters, and experts say Moscow will take years to replace the affected planes. Despite the losses, Freuding does not see any immediate reduction of Russian strikes against Ukraine, noting that Moscow still retains 90% of its strategic bombers which can launch ballistic and cruise missiles in addition to dropping bombs.
He said: But there is, of course, an indirect effect as the remaining planes will need to fly more sorties, meaning they will be worn out faster, and, most importantly, there is a huge psychological impact. Freuding said Russia had felt safe in its vast territory, which also explained why there was little protection for the aircraft. He added: After this successful operation, this no longer holds true.
Russia will need to ramp up the security measures. According to Freuding, Ukraine attacked two airfields about 100 kilometres (62 miles) from Moscow, as well as the Olenya airfield in the Murmansk region and the Belaya airfield, with drones trained with the help of artificial intelligence. A fifth attack on the Ukrainka airfield near the Chinese border failed, he said.
The bombers that were hit were part of Russia’s nuclear triad which enables nuclear weapons deployment by air, sea and ground, he added. Share 19h ago 07.59 EDT Germany’s armed forces have three years to acquire the equipment to tackle a possible Russian attack on Nato territory, its head of military procurement said, AFP reports. “Everything necessary to be fully prepared to defend the country must be acquired by 2028,” Annette Lehnigk-Emden, head of the Federal Office for Military Procurement, told the Tagesspiegel newspaper.
Chief of defence General Carsten Breuer recently warned that Russia could be in a position to “launch a large-scale attack against NATO territory” as early as 2029. He said there was a Russian build-up of ammunition and tanks for a possible attack on NATO’s Baltic members. Lehnigk-Emden stressed that Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s new government was enabling the upgrade by allocating hundreds of billions of euros for defence.
She said the priority would be for heavy equipment such as Skyranger anti-aircraft tanks. Share 19h ago 07.44 EDT We’re hearing more now from Russia’s negotiator Vladimir Medinsky, accusing Ukraine of pulling out of the prisoner swap, posted on Telegram and translated by Reuters: “In strict accordance with the Istanbul agreements, on June 6, Russia began a humanitarian operation to hand over to Ukraine more than 6,000 bodies of killed Ukrainian servicemen, as well as to exchange wounded and seriously ill prisoners of war and prisoners of war under the age of 25,” Medinsky said. He said that 1,212 bodies of killed Ukrainian soldiers were in refrigerated containers at the exchange point.
Russia has also handed over to Ukraine the first list of 640 prisoners of war, categorised as “wounded, seriously ill and young people,” in order to begin the exchange, Medinsky added. “The Russian Defence Ministry’s contact group is on the border with Ukraine,” he said, adding that Ukrainian negotiators were not at the exchange location. Medinsky urged Ukraine to strictly adhere to the schedule and the agreements, and to immediately proceed with the exchange.
“We are on site. We are fully prepared to work. International TV channels, news agencies and correspondents are welcome to come and see for themselves that this is indeed the case,” he said.
Ukrainian officials responsible for the exchanges did not respond to a request for comment. Share Updated at 08.00 EDT 19h ago 07.15 EDT AFP provides some more detail after Russia accused Ukraine of postposting a planned PoW swap between the countries: Delegations from Moscow and Kyiv agreed on Monday to swap all wounded soldiers and those under the age of 25 who were still held as PoW. It was the only concrete outcome from the talks, at which Russia has repeatedly rejected Ukrainian calls for an immediate ceasefire.
[Russia’s negotiator] Vladimir Medinsky said Russia had brought the bodies of 1,212 killed Ukrainian soldiers to the “exchange area” – the first of 6,000 to be handed over. Moscow had also handed over a list to Kyiv with the names of 640 PoW to be swapped in the first stage. More than 1,000 prisoners from each side are set to be released in the largest exchange of the three-year conflict.
“We urge Kyiv to strictly adhere to the timetable and all agreements reached, and begin the exchange immediately,” Medinsky said. Kyiv did not immediately respond to the accusation. After the peace talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the exchange would take place this weekend, while Russia said it was ready for Saturday, Sunday or Monday.
Share Updated at 09.19 EDT 20h ago 06.57 EDT Russia accuses Ukraine of 'postponing' PoW swap Russia on Saturday accused Ukraine of postponing a large-scale prisoner swap and the repatriation of the bodies of dead soldiers they had agreed on during peace talks in Istanbul. “The Ukrainian side has unexpectedly postponed for an indefinite period, both the acceptance of the bodies and the exchange of prisoners of war,” Russia’s top negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said on social media, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP). Share Updated at 09.20 EDT 20h ago 06.41 EDT Russian forces carried out strikes using high-precision long-range weapons and drones on military targets in Ukraine overnight, the Russian defence ministry said on Saturday.
“The objective of the strikes has been achieved. All designated targets have been hit,” the ministry said, according to Reuters. Four Ukrainian unmanned boats have also been destroyed in the Black Sea, Russian news agencies reported, citing the ministry.
Share 21h ago 05.59 EDT In the Dnipropetrovsk province, two women aged 45 and 88 were injured, according to local governor Serhii Lysak, reports Associated Press (AP). Russian shelling also killed a couple in their 50s in the southern city of Kherson, close to the frontlines, local governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported in a Facebook post. Kharkiv’s regional governor Oleh Syniehubov has shared that, as well as a baby boy (see 9.58am BST), a 14-year-old girl is among the 21 people injured in an overnight attack on the city.
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