US President Donald Trump’s 50-day pause ahead of possible secondary sanctions on Russia gifts the Kremlin a window to exploit the incremental gains of recent weeks in Ukraine’s east.

In June, Russia's Defense Ministry reported downing a total of 2,368 Ukrainian drones, with an average of almost 79 drones per day across the month. Thus far in July, the Defense Ministry said it has downed 1,516 Ukrainian drones, with a daily average of 89 drones.

President Trump has effectively handed Vladimir Putin an extraordinary green light: 50 days to finish off his brutal summer offensive in Ukraine before facing any consequences.

Russia launched four missiles and 136 drones into Ukraine overnight into Monday morning, according to Ukraine's air force.

Russia and Ukraine have exchanged more bodies of their war dead, a Kremlin aide said on Thursday, part of an agreement struck at the second round of peace talks in Istanbul in June.

Ukraine says it will give defense firms a detailed report of how their weapons tech fares in combat against Russia's troops.