Russian troops advancing slowly on the eastern front of the war in Ukraine have captured two settlements in Donetsk region as well as one in Ukraine's northern region of Sumy, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Saturday.

On Friday, Ukraine and Russia had each handed over 390 soldiers and civilians in the biggest prisoner exchange since Russia launched its full-scale assault in February 2022. Both countries have each agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners, with another exchange expected on Sunday.

Ukrainian officials say that a massive Russian drone-and-missile attack targeted Ukraine for a second consecutive night, killing at least seven people and injuring dozens. The attack early on