Ukraine denies postponing prisoner swaps as Russian strike on Kharkiv kills 4
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the killing of a civillian 'another brutal murder'. (EPA Images pic)
KYIV : Ukraine denied Russian allegations on Saturday that it had indefinitely postponed prisoner swaps, accusing Moscow of 'playing dirty games' after overnight Russian missile and bomb strikes on Kharkiv left three people dead and 22 injured.
Later on Saturday, Russian aircraft carried out another bombing raid on Kharkiv, killing one civilian and injuring more than 40, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called 'another brutal murder'.
Separately, Russian officials said a Ukrainian drone attack in the Moscow region wounded two people.
At a second round of peace talks in Istanbul on Monday, the two sides agreed to swap more prisoners and return the bodies of 12,000 dead soldiers.
However, Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky said on Saturday Kyiv had unexpectedly postponed the exchanges indefinitely.
This was denied by Andriy Kovalenko, an official with Ukraine's national security and defence council, who said Moscow should stop 'playing dirty games' and return to constructive work.
'Today's statements by the Russian side do not correspond to reality or to previous agreements on either the exchange of prisoners or the repatriation of bodies,' he said on the Telegram app.
Overnight, Russian forces used high-precision long-range weapons and drones to attack military targets in Ukraine, hitting all of them, according to Russia's defence ministry.
The northeastern city of Kharkiv, one of Ukraine's largest, is just a few dozen kilometres from the Russian border and has been under frequent Russian shelling during more than three years of war triggered by Russia's full-scale invasion.
'Kharkiv is currently experiencing the most powerful attack since the start of the full-scale war,' Mayor Ihor Terekhov said in a post on Telegram earlier on Saturday.
Residential buildings, educational and infrastructure facilities were attacked, he said, and photos showed buildings burnt and reduced partially to rubble, as rescuers carried the wounded away for treatment.
Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said there could still be people buried under the rubble after one civilian industrial facility was hit by 40 drones and several bombs.
In the Moscow region, two people were injured after a drone attack by Ukraine overnight and on Friday, Governor Andrei Vorobyov said on Telegram, with nine drones shot down.
Russia's aviation watchdog said operations had resumed at the Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo and Zhukovsky airports in the Moscow region after being suspended temporarily for flight safety reasons.
The defence ministry said that since midnight, air defence units had intercepted and destroyed 36 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory, including the Moscow region.
Ukraine's air forces also shot down a Russian Su-35 fighter jet on Saturday morning, its military said without providing further details.
Russian forces have not yet commented on the matter while Reuters could not independently verify the report.
Zelenskiy said that Ukrainian forces recently destroyed three Iskander missile systems and damaged Russian military helicopters.
'There have also been new blows to Russian military logistics and airfields. This helps our defence – every complication for Russia is important for us,' Zelenskiy said in his evening statement.
A Ukrainian drone attack deep inside Russian territory last weekend likely damaged around 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 in a YouTube podcast set for broadcast later on Saturday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Residents weigh their chances as Russian troops approach Ukrainian city
A resident walks at a street near a building damaged by Russian missile strikes, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Sumy, Ukraine June 13, 2025. REUTERS/Sofiia Gatilova SUMY, Ukraine (Reuters) -Vladyslav Solomko, a 29-year-old French language tutor, is having trouble convincing his parents it would be better not to be in their home in Sumy if rapidly-advancing Russian forces capture the northeastern Ukrainian city. "I keep asking them to leave," Solomko said on Friday, standing in front of a concrete air raid shelter that had been installed in the street to protect people from Russian drone and missile attacks that have grown in intensity. For now, he said, his parents are not budging. But he added: "If the situation gets worse, there is no discussion: we will have to leave." Sumy, a city of around 250,000 people, is located just 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the border with Russia. It was briefly encircled by Russian forces at the start of 2022 when they launched their full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian forces soon pulled out and since then, despite its proximity to the border, Sumy has been relatively quiet, as the focus of the Russian fighting has been further east and south in areas Moscow claims as its own without having full control. However, that changed earlier this year when Russian forces pushed across the Ukraine-Russian border. Since the start of June, their advance has accelerated. Displaced people from outlying villages have been given refuge in public buildings. The Russian advance also means the city is now within range of their artillery. On June 3, four people were killed and nearly 30 were injured when a Russian short-range battlefield rocket landed in the centre of Sumy. Olha Kalchenko, a 29-year-old on maternity leave from her job as an accountant, said the question of whether to stay or leave was now a major topic of debate among her social circle. "It is a bit scary," she said as she pushed her seven-month-old daughter, Oleksandra, in a stroller. "Yes, there are thoughts about leaving but there is nowhere to go, so we stay here." she said. "As long as they (Russian troops) are still a bit further away, it is still ok to live here. But if they get closer we will start thinking and planning to leave, that's for sure. At least me and the baby." But another resident, Sergiy Petrakov, 63, said he would stay put in Sumy, even if Russian forces reached the city limits. He said he trusted Ukraine's armed forces to push back the Russian advance, and would be willing to help build barricades and man checkpoints, adding: "We shall overcome, I think." (Writing by Christian Lowe; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Russia says it tests new laser defences against drones
FILE PHOTO: A view shows the Russian flag on the facade of a historic building alongside the American flag on the facade of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Russia March 18, 2025. REUTERS/Yulia Morozova/File photo MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia said on Friday it had conducted large-scale tests of new laser-based systems to defend against drones. A government statement described the new technology as "promising" and said it had been tested against various types of drone in different weather conditions. It said the anti-drone lasers would become part of a "universal air defence system" that President Vladimir Putin said this week Russia needed to build. "The test results will be used to refine existing models and create systems capable of providing reliable protection against modern air attack weapons. Conducting tests allows us to move on to serial production and upscaling," the statement said. An accompanying video showed charred debris from a destroyed drone. Both sides have deployed drones on a huge scale in the Russia-Ukraine war, using them to spot and hit targets not only on the battlefield but way beyond the front lines. Ukrainian drones have frequently struck sites deep inside Russia such as oil depots, refineries and airfields, highlighting the need for Moscow to boost its defences. Earlier this month, Ukrainian drones smuggled close to air bases in trucks inflicted serious damage to Russia's long-range bomber fleet. (Reporting by Reuters, writing by Mark Trevelyan, Editing by William Maclean)
Free Malaysia Today
9 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
China tells G7 to stop ‘manipulating' China issues for its own agenda
Lin Jian, a spokesman of the Chinese foreign ministry, accused the Group of Seven of having always upheld a Cold War mentality. (EPA Images pic) BEIJING : China warned the Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies today against 'manipulating' issues related to the world's second-largest economy for their own agenda, after they accused Beijing of unfair business practices a year earlier. Beijing's criticism of the G7 and what it represents comes amid a surge in global trade tension between the US and China this year, as well as within the bloc's membership. In remarks ahead of a three-day G7 summit in Canada set to start from Sunday, Lin Jian, a spokesman of the Chinese foreign ministry, accused the group of having always upheld a Cold War mentality. The bloc should 'stop interfering in other countries' internal affairs, stop undermining other countries' development, (and) stop manipulating issues related to China,' Lin told a regular news conference. The G7 provokes conflicts and confrontations, said Lin, adding that such practices were 'doomed to fail'. In the communique after its 2024 summit in Italy, which mentioned China more than 20 times, the G7 said its companies needed to be protected from China's unfair business practices. It also warned of action against Chinese financial institutions that helped Russia obtain weapons for its war in Ukraine. The participation of countries beyond the grouping, such as India and Brazil, in last year's event also irked China, which viewed the move as a bid to sow discord among countries of the Global South. New leaders will represent five of the G7's members – Britain, Canada, Germany, Japan and the US – at next week's summit.
