The announcement was made ahead of an expected prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia on Friday – an outcome of last week’s face-to-face talks in Turkey, the first time the two countries have held direct talks at any level in three years.

Russian forces are working to establish a buffer zone along the country's border with Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, following his return from the Kursk region in southern Russia.

The U.S. National Security Agency says hackers working for Russian military intelligence tried to access the systems of Western technology and logistics companies involved in shipping assistance to Ukraine.

Russian forces in Ukraine have made only small territorial gains this year amid steady resistance from Kyiv’s military, undercutting President Vladimir Putin’s assertions that his army has gained the upper hand in the war.

Many Russian soldiers say they would see a cease-fire along the current front lines as a failure, hinting at the nationalist discontent the Kremlin could face in accepting a cease-fire.

Ukrainian forces made a surprise incursion into Kursk in August 2024, before being pushed out by Russian troops nine months later.

Ukraine wants the Group of Seven advanced economies to reduce its price cap on Russian seaborne oil to $30 per barrel, Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said on Tuesday.

Russian attacks in Ukraine since January 2025 have killed and injured more civilians than in the same period in 2024. Get updates on human rights issues from around the globe. Join our movement today.