Moscow and Kiev may swap prisoners and bodies this weekend
Moscow and Kiev could launch a large exchange of prisoners over the weekend, both sided have indicated.
Russian chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky mentioned the days Saturday to Monday, state news agency TASS reported, while in Kiev, President Volodymyr Zelensky referred in general to the coming weekend.
The first step foresees an exchange of 500 prisoners on each side.
During direct talks between the two sides in Istanbul on Monday, they agreed to exchange primarily younger troops aged between 18 and 25, along with seriously injured or ill prisoners of war.
This could include more than 1,000 troops on each side.
At the same time, thousands of bodies are to be returned from both sides.
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Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Russia Executes Revenge Strikes Against Ukraine For Blowing Up Its Bombers
In one of the war's largest cross-border exchanges, Ukrainian forces hit airfields, fuel depots and other military targets while Russia launched hundreds of drones and scores of missiles at cities across Ukraine that killed at least three and wounded dozens. The bombardment came just days after Ukraine launched a wide-scale, successful attack on long-range military aviation assets from within Russia. You can read more about that in our coverage here. Ukraine launched 'a preemptive strike' on several Russian military targets ahead of a looming Russian attack, the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff claimed on Facebook. 'On the eve of the massive enemy shelling, enemy airfields and other important military facilities were hit.' Russia said its barrage was retaliation for the destruction of its bombers. A 'successful strike was carried out on the Engels airfield in the Saratov region – a place of concentration of enemy aircraft remaining after the operation of the Security Service of Ukraine,' the General Staff added. 'The Diaghilev airfield in the Ryazan region, where air tankers and escort fighters are based, which are used to provide missile strikes on the territory of Ukraine, was also hit.' Ukraine launches massive overnight strike on Russian territory: Bryansk airfield hit again — likely Iskanders targeted Oil depot in Engels serving bomber base Dyagilevo Air Base near Ryazan 'Progress' military plant in Michurinsk Blasts in Podolsk, Crimea & more — Ivan Khomenko (@KhomenkoIv60065) June 6, 2025 In addition, 'the Defense Forces of Ukraine attacked a number of important enemy facilities on the territory of the Russian Federation and temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine. In particular, the defeat of the logistics point of the 30th motorized rifle regiment of the 72nd motorized rifle division of the Russian Army near the settlement of Kulbaky, Kursk region, was recorded. The results of the defeat are being clarified. Strikes on military infrastructure will continue until the complete cessation of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.' The Russian Defense Ministry (MoD) downplayed the attacks, saying its 'alerted air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 174 Ukrainian fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles over Bryansk, Rostov, Saratov, Voronezh, Kaluga, Kursk, Oryol, Ryazan, Tula, Belgorod, Tambov, and Moscow regions, and the Republic of Crimea.' The MoD also claimed that 'three Ukrainian Neptune-MD guided missiles were also destroyed over the Black Sea by air defense systems.' The War Zone cannot independently verify these claims. Videos and images emerged on social media showing the fuel depot at Engels, about 400 miles from the border, being struck and fully engulfed in flames. Ukrainian OWA-UAV overflying Volga river to hit the Rosrezerva fuel depot in Engels, already visibly burning in the video. — Status-6 (Military & Conflict News) (BlueSky too) (@Archer83Able) June 6, 2025 Several Ukrainian long-range drones struck a fuel depot this morning at Russia's Engels-2 Airbase in the Saratov Oblast, causing a number of fires to erupt at the home of the 121st Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment and the 184th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment. — OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) June 6, 2025 Ukraine strikes Russian air bases in 'preemptive strike' ahead of drone, missile attack, General Staff strikes reportedly targeted Engels and Dyagilevo airfields — two key hubs for Russia's long-range bomber — The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) June 6, 2025 The attack on Dyagilevo, about 300 miles from the border, was also captured on video. Russia's Dyagilevo, Ryazan Oblast – home to an airbase. TG/Supernova+ — Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) June 6, 2025 The extent of the destruction at either facility is as yet unclear, though clearly the raging fires at Engels have caused significant damage. Saratov Gov. Roman Busargin acknowledged an attack, but downplayed the damage. 'As a result of the UAV attack, there is a fire at one of the industrial enterprises in Engels,' he claimed on Telegram. 'There are no preliminary casualties. All relevant services are working on the scene. Specialists are taking all necessary measures to eliminate the consequences.' Satellite images we obtained of Dyagilevo appear to show little to no damage to the airfield operating area. A closer view shows a Tu-95MS Bear-H long-range turboprop bomber and two Il-76 Candid transport aircraft, covered in tires, parked at Dyagilevo. A decoy outline of a Candid can also be seen. Dyagilevo and Engels have been frequent targets for Ukraine. The former was attacked on June 1 during Ukraine's audacious Operation Spiderweb that saw several Russian bombers and other aircraft destroyed or damaged by drones launched from trucks by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). While a high-resolution satellite image of Dyagilevo from Planet Labs, taken on June 2 and reviewed by TWZ, showed no obvious signs of damage to any aircraft there, some may have been hit by shrapnel, against which relatively thin-skinned aircraft are notably vulnerable, and this would not necessarily be visible even in higher-resolution imagery. You can see one image taken in the aftermath of Operation Spider Web below. Satellite images of Dyagilevo Airbase as of June 2, 8:55 UTCThe airbase housed 3 Tu-95MS (Bear-H), 5 Tu-22M3 (Backfire-C), 14 Il-78M or Il-76MD (Midas or Candid) and 2 Su-30SM (Flanker-C).There was no serious damage after the Ukrainian special operation. In the right… — AviVector (@avivector) June 2, 2025 Engels was attacked three times in the month of December 2022 alone. On at least one of those occasions, the Russian Ministry of Defense said the air base was attacked by Soviet-made jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles modified by Ukraine to carry explosives. Those attacks — which also targeted Dyagilevo Air Base — resulted in damage to at least one Tu-22M3 Backfire-C bomber and apparently also to a Tu-95MS. More recently, in March, ammunition and weapons storage bunkers at Engels were destroyed in a Ukrainian drone attack there. The attack resulted in a massive fireball and mushroom cloud. You can read our initial story about it here. In January of this year, we reported on a huge fire close to Engels Air Base, caused by what Russian officials described as a 'massive' Ukrainian drone attack. The strike was on the strategically important fuel storage tank farm for Engels and the fire raged for several days after, as seen in the image in the embedded tweet below: Russia's Rosreserv fuel depot in Engels continued to burn today after a Ukrainian drone attack last night, with multiple additional storage tanks igniting throughout the day. Within the last hour, the regional governor of Saratov declared a state of emergency. — OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) January 8, 2025 In addition to those bases, two Russian helicopters were struck by Ukrainian drones at the Bryansk International Airport, according to the ASTRA news outlet. That airport is located about 75 miles from the border. 'According to ASTRA sources in the Russian Emergencies Ministry, as a result of the hits, an Mi-8 combat helicopter completely burned down, and its combat kit detonated,' ASTRA claimed on Telegram. 'An Mi-35 helicopter was also partially damaged. In addition, the airport's administrative building and the rescue service building were damaged. Several dozen employees were evacuated from the Ozon warehouse, not far from which the airport is located. There were no casualties.' Video and images from the scene showed a massive explosion creating a large fireball at the airport. russian war correspondents confirm the destruction of Iskanders at an airfield in #BryanskHuge blow — Азов South 𝕏 (@Azovsouth) June 5, 2025 Bryanks airport in russia is struck by drones, causing a large explosion. — War Monitor Clips (@WarMonitorClips) June 6, 2025 Ukrainian Drones have struck the Russian Air Base in Bryansk, after attacking Bryansk with over a dozen UAVsThere are massive detonations of ammunition being reported by the locals — Ukraine Battle Map (@ukraine_map) June 5, 2025 Meanwhile in Russia's Bryansk — Illia Ponomarenko (@IAPonomarenko) June 5, 2025 Ukraine also reportedly attacked Tambov Oblast, about 250 miles northeast of the border. The Supernova+ Telegram channel shared footage from Michurinsk in Tambov Oblast and claimed that drones struck the Progress plant there, which manufactures equipment for aircraft and missile control systems, as well as for gas and oil pipeline infrastructure. The Exilenova Telegram channel stated that the strike hit the central workshop, leading to a roof collapse. Images showed fire damage and signs of electronic warfare systems operating at the time of the strike. Michurinsk, Tambov 'Progress' plant after a nighttime UAV strike. In the second photo, we can see the effective work of electronic warfare (EW) plant manufactures high-tech equipment for control systems of aviation and missile technology, as well as a… — Exilenova+ (@Exilenova_plus) June 6, 2025 Moscow's mayor claimed that nine Ukrainian drones were shot down over his city, according to ASTRA. Moscow region, RussiaSix UAVs flying toward Moscow shot down in Moscow region. Fire at drone crash site in Podolsk, – VChK-OGPU — LX (@LXSummer1) June 6, 2025 There were also claims that Ukrainian forces hit a tower once used to extract gas from the Black Sea. 'A new mark of fires at sea has appeared on one of the platforms in the Karkinitsky Gulf near Crimea,' the Crimean Wind monitoring group claimed on Telegram, citing NASA fire data. 'Our source reported a battle at sea last night. Let us recall that Russia is placing radar stations, signal repeaters for drones, and reconnaissance equipment on gas production platforms.' A Neva radar system, storage facilities and a residential module on the tower were destroyed in an attack on May 19, according to Crimean Wind. A new fire mark at sea has appeared on one of the platforms in the Karkinitsky Gulf near Crimea, – Crimean Wind Russia is placing radar stations, signal repeaters for drones, and reconnaissance equipment on gas production platforms. — MAKS 25 (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) June 6, 2025 Though Ukraine said it carried out attacks designed to blunt a looming Russian attack, Russia was able to hit several regions last night. The Russian Defense Ministry (MoD) claimed the bombardment was retaliation for Operation Spiderweb. 'Last night, in response to the terrorist actions of the Kyiv regime, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out a massive strike with long-range air, sea, and ground-based high-precision weapons, as well as with strike UAVs against design bureaus, enterprises producing and repairing weapons and military hardware of Ukraine, attack drone assembly workshops, flight training centres, and AFU weapons and military hardware depots,' the MoD claimed. 'The aim of the strike has been achieved. All the assigned targets have been engaged.' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that Russia struck civilian targets and that at least three people died and dozens were injured in a barrage across the country. Later claims put the death toll at four. 'Russia doesn`t change its stripes – another massive strike on cities and ordinary life,' he stated on X. 'They targeted almost all of Ukraine – Volyn, Lviv, Ternopil, Kyiv, Sumy, Poltava, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, and Chernihiv regions. Some of the missiles and drones were shot down. I thank our warriors for their defense. But unfortunately, not all were intercepted. In total, over 400 drones and more than 40 missiles – including ballistic missiles – were used in today's attack.' Russia doesn`t change its stripes – another massive strike on cities and ordinary life. They targeted almost all of Ukraine – Volyn, Lviv, Ternopil, Kyiv, Sumy, Poltava, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, and Chernihiv regions. Some of the missiles and drones were shot down. I thank our… — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 6, 2025 In Kyiv, three members of the State Emergency Service in Ukraine were killed coming to the rescue of those injured during that attack, officials in Kyiv stated. Videos of the destruction across Ukraine emerged on social media. Russians could see where they were hitting live. There was a live broadcast on YouTube from different cities of Ukraine. — Clash Report (@clashreport) June 6, 2025 Lutsk, in western Ukraine, was one of those cities hit. The following video shows four Russian Kh-101 cruise missiles striking buildings there. BREAKING:Russia's launches one of its largest air attacks against Ukraine of this war.407 suicide drones, 38 cruise missiles and 6 ballistic missiles were fired against Ukrainian video shows 4 missiles striking the city of Lutsk in western Ukraine. — Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) June 6, 2025 Another video shows those missiles emitting flares or chaff before striking, a tactic to confuse air defenses. At least five people were injured in an attack using 15 drones and six missiles, according to Mayor Ihor Polishchuk. Longer footage showing Russian missile strikes in the city of Lutsk, western Ukraine, this Kh-101 air-launched cruise missiles can be seen releasing chaff/decoys/flares before hitting their targets. — Status-6 (Military & Conflict News) (BlueSky too) (@Archer83Able) June 6, 2025 The Ukrainian Track and Field Team came under fire in Lutsk. The Ukrainian national track and field team came under fire in Lutsk: the Motor Hotel, where the athletes were staying, was hit, — Ukrainian Track and Field Federation. Fortunately, there are no victims or injuries among the athletes. — MAKS 25 (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) June 6, 2025 Ternopil's military chief Vyacheslav Negoda said Friday's strike was the 'most massive air attack on our region to date,' BBC reported. The Mayor of Ternopil, Igor Polishchuk, said five people were wounded in the attack while homes, schools and a government facility had been damaged. The 'Penoboard' Insulation Material Factory in the Ternopil Oblast of Western Ukraine was targeted during last night's drone and missile attack by Russia, resulting in serious damage to the factory as well as other nearby manufacturing facilities in Ternopil. — OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) June 6, 2025 The city of Chernihiv was hit by Russian Geran-2 drones as well as cruise and ballistic missiles, according to Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, spokesman for the Kherson Regional Military Administration of Ukraine. 'A residential area came under fire: multi-story buildings, private homes, a kindergarten, a local business, infrastructure facilities, and civilians' vehicles were damaged,' he said. 'Due to the strikes on the energy infrastructure, around 40.000 consumers remain without electricity. As of now, four civilians have been reported injured. Three of them received assistance on site, while another man was hospitalized in moderate condition.' Though Russia lost several Tu-95s during the Operation Spiderweb, it still managed to use some in this latest onslaught. Russia fired 36 Kh-101 cruise missiles from Bears and Tu-160 Blackjack long-range supersonic bombers from the airspace of the Saratov region, over the Caspian Sea, according to the Ukrainian Air Force (UaAF). In addition, the UaAF said six Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles were launched from Kursk and Voronezh regions, one Kh-31P anti-radar missile was fired from a tactical aircraft over the Black Sea and two Iskander-K cruise missiles were launched from the Dzyankoy district of Crimea. The extent of Russia's response to Operation Spiderweb is still unknown, however, these attacks show that both sides seem to be locked into an escalation of cross-border bombardment. Contact the author: howard@
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Putin's desperate struggle to replace nuclear-capable bombers lost in Ukraine drone strikes
Western military aviation experts suggest it will take Russia years to replace the nuclear-capable bomber planes damaged in recent Ukrainian drone strikes. These attacks have placed additional strain on Russia's already delayed modernisation programme. Satellite imagery of airfields in Siberia and Russia's far north reveals significant damage, with several aircraft completely destroyed. While reports vary, U.S. officials estimate that up to 20 warplanes were hit, with approximately 10 destroyed. This figure is about half the number estimated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. 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, accusing commanders of negligence. The strikes - prepared over 18 months in a Ukrainian intelligence operation dubbed "Spider's Web", and conducted by drones that were smuggled close to the bases in trucks - dealt a powerful symbolic blow to a country that, throughout the Ukraine war, has frequently reminded the world of its nuclear might. In practice, experts said, they will not seriously affect Russia's nuclear strike capability which is largely comprised of ground- and submarine-based missiles. However, the Tu-95MS Bear-H and Tu-22M3 Backfire bombers that were hit were part of a long-range aviation fleet that Russia has used throughout the war to fire conventional missiles at Ukrainian cities, defence plants, military bases, power infrastructure and other targets, said Justin Bronk, an aviation expert at the RUSI think tank in London. The same fleet had also been carrying out periodic patrol flights into the Arctic, North Atlantic and northern Pacific as a show of strength to deter Russia's Western adversaries. Bronk said that at the outset of its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia was operating a fleet of 50-60 Bear-Hs and around 60 Backfires, alongside around 20 Tu-160M nuclear-capable Blackjack heavy bombers. He estimated that Russia has now lost more than 10% of the combined Bear-H and Backfire fleet, taking into account last weekend's attacks and the loss of several planes earlier in the war - one shot down and the others struck while on the ground. These losses "will put major pressure on a key Russian force that was already operating at maximum capacity," Bronk told Reuters. Russia's defence ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Replacing the planes will be challenging. Both the Bear H and the Backfire are aircraft that were designed in the Soviet era and have been out of production for decades, said Douglas Barrie, aerospace expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, although existing planes have been upgraded over the years. Barrie said that building new ones like-for-like was therefore very unlikely, and it was unclear whether Russia had any useable spare airframes of either type. Western sanctions against Russia have aimed to restrict the import of components such as microprocessors that are vital to avionics systems, although Moscow has so far been comparatively successful at finding alternative sources, Barrie added. Russia has been modernising its Blackjack bomber fleet, and Putin sent a pointed signal to the West last year by taking a 30-minute flight in one such aircraft and pronouncing it ready for service. But production of new Blackjacks is slow - one Russian military blogger this week put it at four per year - and Western experts say progress in developing Russia's next-generation PAK DA bomber has also been moving at a crawl. The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) said in a report last month that Russia had signed a contract with manufacturer Tupolev in 2013 to build the PAK DA, but cited Russian media reports as saying state test flights are not scheduled until next year, with initial production to begin in 2027. While it would be logical for Russia to try to speed up its PAK DA plans, it may not have the capacity, said Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the FAS. He said in a telephone interview that Russia is facing delays with a range of other big defence projects including its new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile. RUSI's Bronk was also sceptical of Moscow's chances of accelerating the timeline for the next-generation bomber. "Russia will struggle to deliver the PAK DA programme at all in the coming five years, let alone accelerate it, due to budgetary shortfalls and materials and technology constraints on industry due to sanctions," he said.
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Finland urges Russia to agree to unconditional ceasefire after latest attacks on Ukraine
Finland's Ministry for Foreign Affairs, holding the OSCE presidency in 2025, has called on Russia to implement an "unconditional ceasefire" following the latest large-scale attacks on Ukrainian cities. Source: Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda Details: The ministry highlighted that Russia's attacks on Kyiv and other cities resulted in the death of "dozens of people, including employees of Ukraine's emergency services, amid ongoing talks". "Our thoughts are with their loved ones. We urge Russia to agree to a full, unconditional ceasefire," it said. Background: UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy condemned Russia's large-scale attack targeting Ukraine on the night of 5-6 June 2025, describing Moscow's actions as "barbaric". EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová shared her personal experience of the night under Russian attack in Kyiv, when she and her brother sought safety in a shelter. Following another large-scale Russian attack on Ukrainian regions, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged allies to intensify pressure on Moscow to end the war of aggression. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
