Russia and Ukraine delay prisoner swap
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of playing games over a prisoner which was due to take place this weekend but did not occur.
Russia has accused Ukraine of postponing the swap of hundreds of prisoners and the bodies of thousands of those killed in the war.
Mr Zelensky says Ukraine is doing everything it can to make the exchange happen.
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News.com.au
7 hours ago
- News.com.au
Ukraine says Russian strikes hit Kharkiv, killing two
Fresh Russian strikes on Ukraine's northeastern city of Kharkiv killed two people and wounded 54 including children early Wednesday, authorities said, as Moscow pushed ahead with its relentless attacks after rejecting an unconditional ceasefire. "Seventeen strikes by enemy UAVs (drones) were carried out in two districts of the city tonight," Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov said on Telegram, later adding that 37 people were wounded and "several people were rescued from houses engulfed in flames". The State Emergency Service of Ukraine said eight children were wounded in the attack. Russia has escalated its bombardments of Ukraine despite US President Donald Trump urging Moscow to end its three-year invasion, with Kyiv launching retaliatory attacks deep inside Russian territory. After a previous overnight barrage of more than 300 drones and seven missiles on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Kyiv's Western allies to respond with "concrete action". "Action from America, which has the power to force Russia into peace. Action from Europe, which has no alternative but to be strong," Zelensky wrote on social media. Peace talks in Turkey last week failed to yield a breakthrough towards ending the conflict, with Russia rejecting calls for an unconditional ceasefire and demanding Ukraine give up its territory and bid to join NATO. But the two sides agreed to swap more than 1,000 prisoners of war and hand over the bodies of dead soldiers, swapping groups of captured soldiers on Monday and Tuesday. - Prisoner exchanges - Kharkhiv, which lies less than 50 kilometres (31 miles) from the Russian border, has been hit by a surge in large-scale nighttime attacks over the past week. Wednesday's strikes left a five-story building on fire in Slobidskyi district, while several houses were hit in Osnovyansky district, Mayor Terekhov said. He said "there may be people trapped under the rubble". The attack came after Russia pummelled the city on Saturday in what Terekhov called "the most powerful attack" on Kharkiv since the start of the war. Four people were killed and more than 50 wounded as homes and apartment blocks were hit overnight and guided bombs were dropped on the city on Saturday afternoon. Ukraine is also stepping up its drone attacks on Russia, targeting military production and bases. On Tuesday, one person was killed and four others wounded in a drone attack that destroyed a convenience store in the Russian region of Belgorod, according to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. Nevertheless, the two sides carried out a second prisoner of war swap on Tuesday. The deal should see the freeing of all captured soldiers under the age of 25, as well as those who are sick or severely wounded, though neither side has specified the number of soldiers involved. But Zelensky has said it is "pointless" to hold further talks with the current Russian delegation -- who he previously dismissed as "empty heads" -- since they could not agree to a ceasefire. As a condition for halting its invasion, Russia has demanded that Ukraine cede the territories Moscow says it has annexed and forswear joining NATO. It has also rejected a proposed 30-day unconditional ceasefire sought by Kyiv and the European Union, arguing that this would allow Ukrainian forces to rearm with Western deliveries. Ukraine is demanding a complete Russian withdrawal of from its territory and security guarantees from the West.
West Australian
15 hours ago
- West Australian
Russia and Ukraine swap more prisoners of war
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged more prisoners of war, both sides say, without giving details of the numbers involved. The exchange was agreed between the two sides at talks in Istanbul last week and an initial swap of prisoners under the age of 25 was conducted on Monday. The defence ministry in Moscow said the Russian soldiers freed in the latest handover were currently in Belarus, which borders both the warring countries, and would be returned to Russia for medical treatment and rehabilitation. The group of Ukrainian prisoners consisted of seriously ill and severely injured soldiers, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrote on social media. They will all receive immediate medical assistance, he said. Among them were members of the army, the National Guard, transport services and border guards, Zelenskiy said. Earlier, the Kremlin said it had been ready for several days to start handing over the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers killed in the war but that Ukraine was still discussing the details. The planned transfer of thousands of war dead was the other tangible result of the Istanbul talks, which resumed last month after a gap of more than three years but have made no progress towards a ceasefire. Russia has said it is ready to hand over the bodies of more than 6000 Ukrainian soldiers and receive any bodies of Russian soldiers which Ukraine is able to return. But Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky said on Saturday that the Russian side had shown up at the agreed exchange point with the bodies of 1212 Ukrainian dead soldiers only to find nobody from Ukraine to take them. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has accused Russia of "trying to play some kind of dirty political and information game" around the issue of the exchanges. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday: "There is no final understanding. Contact is being made, numbers are being compared. As soon as there is a final understanding, then we hope this exchange will take place." Russian state media has broadcast images of long white refrigerated trucks, containing bodies sealed in individual white bags, parked up near the border. Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday Russia launched one of its largest air strikes on Kyiv in the war and struck a maternity ward in the southern city of Odesa in attacks that killed at least three people. The overnight strikes followed Russia's biggest drone assault of the war on Ukraine on Monday and were part of intensified bombardments in what Russia says is retaliation for attacks by Ukrainian forces on Russia. with DPA
Perth Now
15 hours ago
- Perth Now
Russia and Ukraine swap more prisoners of war
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged more prisoners of war, both sides say, without giving details of the numbers involved. The exchange was agreed between the two sides at talks in Istanbul last week and an initial swap of prisoners under the age of 25 was conducted on Monday. The defence ministry in Moscow said the Russian soldiers freed in the latest handover were currently in Belarus, which borders both the warring countries, and would be returned to Russia for medical treatment and rehabilitation. The group of Ukrainian prisoners consisted of seriously ill and severely injured soldiers, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrote on social media. They will all receive immediate medical assistance, he said. Among them were members of the army, the National Guard, transport services and border guards, Zelenskiy said. We continue the return of our people, as agreed in Istanbul. Today marks the first stage of the return of our injured and severely wounded warriors from Russian captivity. All of them require immediate medical attention. This is an important humanitarian act. Warriors from… Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 10, 2025 Earlier, the Kremlin said it had been ready for several days to start handing over the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers killed in the war but that Ukraine was still discussing the details. The planned transfer of thousands of war dead was the other tangible result of the Istanbul talks, which resumed last month after a gap of more than three years but have made no progress towards a ceasefire. Russia has said it is ready to hand over the bodies of more than 6000 Ukrainian soldiers and receive any bodies of Russian soldiers which Ukraine is able to return. But Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky said on Saturday that the Russian side had shown up at the agreed exchange point with the bodies of 1212 Ukrainian dead soldiers only to find nobody from Ukraine to take them. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has accused Russia of "trying to play some kind of dirty political and information game" around the issue of the exchanges. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday: "There is no final understanding. Contact is being made, numbers are being compared. As soon as there is a final understanding, then we hope this exchange will take place." Russian state media has broadcast images of long white refrigerated trucks, containing bodies sealed in individual white bags, parked up near the border. Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday Russia launched one of its largest air strikes on Kyiv in the war and struck a maternity ward in the southern city of Odesa in attacks that killed at least three people. The overnight strikes followed Russia's biggest drone assault of the war on Ukraine on Monday and were part of intensified bombardments in what Russia says is retaliation for attacks by Ukrainian forces on Russia. with DPA
