Families in Ukrainian cities are taking refuge from massive swarms of Russian drones, as Moscow steps up its airborne assault with attacks designed to undermine Ukrainian morale.

On June 9, a new prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia commenced, following the accord established in the second round of negotiations in Istanbul on June 2. Both Kyiv and Moscow have consented to initially exchange young soldiers under the age of 25 and those who are seriously ill.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told his US counterpart Donald Trump Saturday that Moscow was ready to hold a fresh round of peace talks with Kyiv after June 22, once the sides complete exchanging prisoners and soldiers' bodies.

More than 1,000 Ukrainian bodies have been handed back to Kyiv after a prisoner-of-war exchange - as Volodymyr Zelenskyy renews calls for sanctions.

Ukraine has received 1,200 bodies of its soldiers killed in the war with Russia, Ukrainian officials responsible for exchanging prisoners of war said on Saturday.

A peace deal is in the "best interest" of Ukraine, Russia and the U.S, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday.

Ukraine earlier on Saturday confirmed it had received the bodies of its soldiers killed in action. However, Russian state media reported, citing sources, that Moscow had not received any of its war dead back from Kyiv,

Military leaders and analysts alike are questioning whether any level of battlefield attrition can alter Russia’s efforts to occupy still more of Ukraine. Former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi admitted in November,

Berlin won't deliver Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, but more Iris-T antimissile systems are in the pipeline.

The U.S. has not announced any military aid packages for Ukraine in almost five months, pushing Kyiv to seek new alternatives. "While Ukraine's dependence on the U.S. has lessened, U.S. aid remains pivotal for maintaining battlefield effectiveness,