Ukraine-Russia struggle newest: Putin’s forces strike Ukraine’s second metropolis with ‘most powerful’ assault since begin of struggle | EUROtoday

Ukrainian officers mentioned on Saturday, urging Moscow to cease “playing dirty games” and return to constructive work, in response to studies from Reuters.

Vladimir Medinsky, Kremlin aide, claimed on Saturday that Ukraine had unexpectedly postponed exchanging prisoners of struggle and accepting the our bodies of killed troopers for an indefinite interval.

Ukraine has now denied this. Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War mentioned that there was no mounted date for the return of our bodies and that Russia was not sticking to the agreed parameters of the PoW swap, accusing Moscow of “dirty games” and “manipulations.”

The second spherical of peace talks in Istanbul ended with an settlement to swap extra prisoners of struggle.

The two sides dedicated to returning the our bodies of 12,000 troopers and to swap all sick and closely wounded prisoners of struggle. They additionally agreed to swap those that are aged below 25.

Ukrainian negotiators mentioned Russia had once more rejected an “unconditional ceasefire”.

However, the Russian staff proposed a two or three-day truce “in certain areas” of the huge entrance line.

There are a number of conflicting accounts of the delayed prisoner change

Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War has refuted Russian claims that Ukraine postponed a deliberate weekend prisoner change.

It mentioned submitted lists to Russia for prisoners to change “in accordance with clearly defined categories agreed” in Istanbul final week.

But it claimed Russia submitted lists that didn’t adjust to these agreements, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

The Coordination Headquarters acknowledged: “Regarding the repatriation of bodies – an agreement was indeed reached. However, no date was agreed. Instead of following the agreed process, the Russian side resorted to unilateral actions that were not coordinated within the joint framework.”

It provides that Ukraine is able to work for an change of prisoners and our bodies, and calls on Russia to work constructively with them.

Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky accused Ukraine of suspending the prisoner swap, which Ukraine denies.

Medinsky mentioned Russia had already began an change of our bodies and prisoners of struggle which he says either side had agreed to, the BBC reported.

More than 1,000 prisoners from each side are set to be released.

But Medinsky claims Ukrainian negotiators didn’t arrive on the agreed upon location.

He mentioned the Russian staff “are there” and prepared “to work”.

A Ukrainian drone assault final weekend doubtless broken round 10 per cent of Russia’s strategic bomber fleet, a senior German navy official mentioned.

Reuters studies German Major General Christian Freuding mentioned: “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,”

The affected A-50s planes were likely non-operational when they hit, the general said.

“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 UK government announced this week it would invest £350 million this year to increase the supply of drones to Ukraine from a target of 10,000 in 2024 to 100,000 in 2025.

In an announcement on Wednesday, the government said the UK will spend a further £247m this year on training the Armed Forces of Ukraine, under its programme, Operation Interflex.

Meanwhile, Nato has recently announced an extra €20 billion in military aid. Dutch defence minister Ruben Brekelmans said the Netherlands is giving €400 million euros including 100 naval vessels, including patrol boats, transport boats, interceptors, and special operations ships and more than 50 naval drones.

And Norway is stumping up $700 million in “drone-aid” too.

Germany has said it will soon send Ukraine long-range bombs capable of striking deep into Russia.

Germany’s armed forces have three years to acquire the equipment to tackle a possible Russian attack on NATO territory, AFP reports.

Annette Lehnigk-Emden, head of the Federal Office for Military Procurement, told Tagesspiegel newspaper, “Everything essential to be totally ready to defend the nation should be acquired by 2028,”

Chief of defence, General Carsten Breuer, recently warned that Russia could be in a position to “launch a large-scale assault towards NATO territory” as early as 2029.

Russia has accused Ukraine of postponing a large-scale prisoner of war swap.

Following peace talks in Istanbul officials had also agreed on the repatriation of the bodies of dead soldiers, according to reports by Agence France Presse.

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 prisoners of war.

More than 1,000 prisoners from each side are set to be released.

Russia’s top negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said on social media said: “The Ukrainian facet has unexpectedly postponed for an indefinite interval, each the acceptance of the our bodies and the change of prisoners of struggle.”

Kyiv did not immediately respond to the accusation.

The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces claims that Russia has lost 995,030 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its invasion on 24 February 2022.

Russia has also lost 10,904 tanks, 22,737 armoured fighting vehicles, 51,079 vehicles and fuel tanks, 28,850 artillery systems, 1,410 multiple launch rocket systems, 1,181 air defence systems, 413 airplanes, 337 helicopters, 39,493 drones, 28 ships and boats, and one submarine, according to Ukraine.

US president Donald Trump said Russia and Ukraine should be left to “fight for a while,” with other nations leaving them to it.

On Thursday, Mr Trump compared the war to an ice hockey brawl whilst speaking in the Oval Office with his German counterpart Friedrich Merz.

“Sometimes you’re better off letting them fight for a while and then pulling them apart,” Trump told reporters. “You see it in hockey, you see it in sports.”

The president revealed he shared the analogy with Vladimir Putin during a 75 minute phone call on Wednesday (4 June).