A Russian attack killed three children in Ukraine’s northwestern Zhytomyr region as Moscow unleashed massive overnight air attacks across the country, emergency services said. The victims were aged eight, 12 and 17, emergency services said, adding 10 other people were wounded.

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.

Thousands of troops are taking part in military drills in northern Finland, close to the alliance's border with Russia.

As Ukrainian drones strike deep into Russian territory, they are disrupting day-to-day life and reminding Russians that the war is not confined to the trenches.

Turkey’s foreign minister is set to travel to Russia on Monday to discuss the situation in Ukraine, following direct talks earlier this month in Istanbul between the two sides in conflict.

An agreement by Ukraine and Russia for a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange is thought to be the only concrete result of peace talks in Istanbul which took place last week, which were the first such negotiations since 2022 when the ongoing war began. Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

The president has gone from a “24-hour” deal to “back away” in just a few months.

This week's prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine was the largest since the war’s onset. But skepticism of a lasting truce, and President Trump’s peace-making, remains. Bridget Brink resigned as ambassador to Ukraine in April,