Ukraine, Russia exchange accusations over POW swap delay – DW – 06/07/2025
Ukraine is not delaying the exchange of soldiers' bodies, official Ukrainian sources said on Saturday, denying earlier claims by Russia, as each country said the other was to blame for the impasse.
Russia meanwhile launched a massive air assault across Ukraine early Saturday, killing three people in what appeared to be retaliation for recent strikes on its air bases.
The Kremlin has intensified attacks in recent weeks as ceasefire talks stall.
Ukraine's air force reported intercepting 206 drones and nine missiles using a mix of aircraft, air defenses, and electronic warfare systems.
Here are the main developments in Russia's war in Ukraine on Saturday, June 7, 2025:
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NDTV
17 minutes ago
- NDTV
Birds Build Nests Using Fibre Optics Found In FPV Drones In Ukraine
In a scene straight out of a post-apocalyptic dystopian movie, a bird's nest constructed using fibre optic cable from the armed drones has been found in Ukraine. The picture of the nest has been circulating on social media, highlighting how much debris from fibre-guided FPVs was now littered across the Ukrainian and Russian landscape, since the war broke out three years ago. The 12th Azov Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine discovered the novel-looking nest near the front line in Toretsk, Donetsk region. It is almost entirely made up of fibre optic, with birds using it as they would use grass, hair or fur. "Birds were the first after people to use the remains of fibre optic for their own needs. This is just one of dozens of manifestations of how nature survives in the flames of war," the brigade's message said, as per Ukrainian News. In recent months, FPV drones, controlled via fibre optic cable, have been used aggressively by both parties to gain an advantage over the territories. The use of fibre optics allows the operator of an FPV drone to perform tasks despite electronic warfare (EW) equipment. According to Ukraine's Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, 15 companies now make fibre drones in the country. The rapid progress has been made possible due to the help of former US Marine Troy Smothers, who took his fibre drone design to Ukraine to demonstrate the technology and develop the local industry. Ukrainian drones inflict damage Last week, Ukraine launched a major drone attack against Russian military airbases, located thousands of kilometres from the front line. Code-named 'Spider's web', Ukraine used 117 drones and a corresponding number of drone operators who managed to destroy Russian bombers and other important air assets. The airbases in the eastern Siberian city of Belaya, Olenya, in the Arctic near Finland, and Ivanovo and Dyagilevo - both east of Moscow, were the major targets of the attack. Images and videos of the incident circulating on social media showed the Ukrainian drone operators taking their time and eliminating the Russian aircraft using the drones.
Business Recorder
26 minutes ago
- Business Recorder
Russian attacks on Ukraine's Kharkiv kills four, wounds at least 60, officials say
KYIV: Russia attacked the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv at night and in the evening with drones, missiles and guided bombs, killing at least four people and injuring more than 60, including a baby, local officials said on Saturday. One of Ukraine's largest cities, Kharkiv is located just a few dozen kilometres from the Russian border and has been under constant Russian shelling during more than three years of war. 'Kharkiv is currently experiencing the most powerful attack since the start of the full-scale war,' city mayor, Ihor Terekhov, said on the Telegram messenger early on Saturday. Dozens of explosions were heard in the city through the night and Russian troops were striking simultaneously with missiles, drones and guided aerial bombs, he said. Ukraine drones attack on Moscow forces airport closure, Russia says Multi-storey and private residential buildings, educational and infrastructure facilities were attacked, Terekhov noted. Photos by local authorities and Reuters showed burnt and partially destroyed houses and vehicles, and of rescuers carrying those injured to safety and removing debris. Kharkiv governor Oleh Syniehubov said that one of the city's civilian industrial facilities was attacked by 40 drones, one missile and four bombs, causing a fire, adding there may still be people under the rubble. In the evening, Russian aircraft once again attacked Kharkiv with guided bombs, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiyy called 'another brutal murder'. 'It was a brutal blow to the city in broad daylight, and in fact, they have been attacking our city of Kharkiv for the entire day,' Zelenskiyy said in his evening statement. 'Last night, there was a massive drone strike on Kharkiv, and now there are aerial bombs. Dozens of people have been injured in the past 24 hours.' he said. Russia launches major overnight attack on Kharkiv, killing two The Ukrainian military said Russia launched 206 drones, two ballistic and seven other missiles against Ukraine overnight. It said its air defence units shot down 87 drones while another 80 drones were lost - in reference to the Ukrainian military using electronic warfare to redirect them - or they were drone simulators that did not carry warheads. Ten locations were hit, the military said.
Business Recorder
33 minutes ago
- Business Recorder
US believes Russia response to Ukraine drone attack not over yet, expects multi-pronged strike
WASHINGTON: The United States believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin's threatened retaliation against Ukraine over its drone attack last weekend has not happened yet in earnest and is likely to be a significant, multi-pronged strike, U.S. officials told Reuters. The timing of the full Russian response was unclear, with one source saying it was expected within days. A second U.S. official said the retaliation was likely to include different kinds of air capabilities, including missiles and drones. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity. They did not detail Russia's expected targets nor elaborate on intelligence matters. Ukraine drones attack on Moscow forces airport closure, Russia says The first official said Moscow's attack would be 'asymmetrical,' meaning that its approach and targeting would not mirror Ukraine's strike last weekend against Russian warplanes. Russia launched an intense missile and drone barrage at the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Friday and Russia's Defence Ministry said the strike on military and military-related targets was in response to what it called Ukrainian 'terrorist acts' against Russia. But the U.S. officials believe the complete Russian response is yet to come. A Western diplomatic source said that while Russia's response may have started, it would likely intensify with strikes against symbolic Ukrainian targets like government buildings, in an effort to send a clear message to Kyiv. Another, senior, Western diplomat anticipated a further devastating assault by Moscow. 'It will be huge, vicious and unrelenting,' the diplomat said. 'But the Ukrainians are brave people.' The Russian and Ukrainian embassies in Washington and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Michael Kofman, a Russia expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said he expected Moscow might seek to punish Ukraine's domestic security agency, the SBU, for its role in last weekend's assault. To send a message, Russia could employ intermediate-range ballistic missiles for the attack, he said. 'Most likely, they will attempt to retaliate against (SBU) headquarters, or other regional intelligence administration buildings,' Kofman said, adding Russia could also target Ukrainian defense manufacturing centers. Still, Kofman suggested Russia's options for retaliation may be limited as it is already throwing a lot of its military might at Ukraine. 'In general, Russia's ability to substantially escalate strikes from what they are already doing - and attempting to do over the past month - is quite constrained,' he said. Operation 'spider's web' Kyiv says Sunday's audacious attack employed 117 unmanned aerial vehicles launched deep from within Russian territory in an operation code-named 'Spider's Web.' The United States assesses that up to 20 warplanes were hit - around half the number estimated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy - and around 10 were destroyed. Russian drone attack kills five, injures 24, Ukraine officials say The Russian government on Thursday denied that any planes were destroyed and said the damage would be repaired, but Russian military bloggers have spoken of loss or serious damage to about a dozen planes, including those capable of carrying nuclear weapons. The strikes, prepared over 18 months and conducted by drones smuggled close to the bases in trucks, dealt a powerful symbolic blow to Russia, which throughout the Ukraine war has frequently reminded the world of its nuclear might. Putin told President Donald Trump in a telephone conversation on Wednesday that Moscow would have to respond to attack, Trump said in a social media post. Trump later told reporters that 'it's probably not going to be pretty.' 'I don't like it. I said: 'Don't do it. You shouldn't do it. You should stop it,'' Trump said of his conversation with Putin. 'But, again, there's a lot of hatred.'
