Zelenskyy blasts 'cynical' Russian attack - as Trump says he's disappointed in Putin

Germany in talks to buy Patriots for Ukraine after US pause

Germany is holding talks on procuring Patriot defence systems to pass on to Ukraine after the US ordered a pause on some weapons shipments to Kyiv this week.

A government spokesperson said Berlin is exploring the option to help fill the "Patriot gap" in Ukraine.

Boris Pistorius, Germany's defence minister, is due to travel to Washington later this month for talks with his US counterpart, the spokesperson said, adding that the Patriot issue will be on the agenda for the discussions.

Zelenskyy confirms return of Ukrainian prisoners

Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the latest group of Ukrainian soldiers held in Russian captivity have been released.

Posting on Telegram, Ukraine's president said most of the latest group had been held by Russia since 2022.

"Exchanges must continue, and I thank everyone ensuring this," he said, thanking those who made the latest exchange possible.

Zelenskyy didn't confirm the numbers of Ukrainian or Russian prisoners handed over, though Moscow's defence ministry confirmed it had received prisoners earlier (see 11.14 post).

Ukraine and Russia have exchanged prisoners several times - the latest on June 26 - as part of an agreement struck in Istanbul last month. 

Diplomatic end to Ukraine war 'currently doesn't appear possible, Kremlin says

Russia says that achieving its goals in Ukraine by diplomatic means "does not appear possible" at the moment.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was asked about comments from Donald Trump saying he was disappointed with Vladimir Putin after the pair's phone call yesterday.

"Naturally, we pay close attention to all President Trump's statements," Peskov said.

"During the conversation, President Putin reiterated that we are interested in achieving our objectives in the course of the special military operation, and preferably by political and diplomatic means.

"However, since that currently does not appear possible, we are continuing our special military operation."

He added that Putin told Trump that Russia is still waiting "the coordination of dates" for the third round of direct talks with Ukraine.

Asked if a Trump-Putin meeting is possible this summer, Peskov said such a meeting is "needed" but must be "well-prepared".

Russia and Ukraine exchange more prisoners of war, Moscow says

Russia and Ukraine have exchanged another batch of prisoners of war, Moscow says.

The Russian defence ministry did not specify how many soldiers were involved in the swap. 

The warring sides have exchanged prisoners several times - the latest on June 26 - as part of an agreement struck in Istanbul last month. 

Russian forces hit military targets in Kyiv overnight, Moscow says

Russia's defence ministry says its forces successfully carried out strikes against military targets in Kyiv overnight.

It said high-precision long-range weapons were used along with hypersonic missiles and drones, adding that "all designated objects have been hit".

Ukraine said Russia launched 550 drones and missiles at the country overnight, making it the largest aerial attack of the war so far.

'Putin is mocking your peace efforts,' Polish minister tells Trump

Poland's foreign minister has urged Donald Trump to restore anti-aircraft weapons shipments to Ukraine following Russia's largest aerial attack of the war so far.

"President Trump, Putin is mocking your peace efforts," Radoslaw Sikorski says on X.

"Please restore supplies of anti-aircraft ammunition to Ukraine and impose tough new sanctions on the aggressor."

As we've mentioned, the Polish embassy in Kyiv was damaged during last night's massive Russian attack (see 9.24 post).

Smoke rises after drone attack near Moscow

Here are the latest images from the Russian region of Sergiyev Posad, just outside of Moscow.

Authorities there say a Ukrainian drone attack this morning targeted a power substation.

Two people were injured, according to governor Andrei Vorobyov.

Putin regime 'must be hit', Zelenskyy aide says

Volodymyr Zelenskyy's top aide says securing more air defence systems for Ukraine is not enough and that the "Putin regime must be hit".

Ukraine's president earlier called for tougher sanctions to be placed on Moscow in light of its huge overnight attack (see 7.51 post).

Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine's presidential office, said that Putin's "single goal" is to "keep killing Ukrainians for as long as he's allowed to".

"Strengthening air defence is essential — but it's not enough.," he says. "Defence alone won’t stop this. The Putin regime must be hit — only then can it be stopped."

Russian use of banned chemicals in Ukraine 'widespread', German and Dutch intelligence services warn

Russia has increased its use of chemical weapons in Ukraine, according to a joint report from the Dutch and German intelligence services.

This includes dropping a choking agent from drones to drive soldiers out of trenches so they can be shot, the report says, according to the Dutch defence minister, Ruben Brekelmans.

"This intensification is concerning because it is part of a trend we have been observing for several years now,"  Bekelmans said, adding that Russia's use of chemical weapons is becoming "more normalised, standardised and widespread".

The allegations, which Moscow has rejected in the past as "baseless", would contravene the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which Russia signed.

The Ukrainian defence ministry states that Russia has carried out more than 9,000 chemical weapons attacks on Ukrainian troops since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. 

According to Ukraine, at least three deaths can be directly attributed to exposure to chemical weapons.

Polish embassy damaged in Kyiv attack, minister says

Poland's embassy in Kyiv was damaged during Russia's overnight attack on the city, Warsaw says.

Foreign minister Radek Sikorski said he'd spoken with Poland's ambassador to Ukraine, who told him there were no injuries sustained.

"Ukraine urgently needs air defence resources," he added.

The latest situation on the battlefield

Here are the latest battlefield maps in Ukraine.

Scroll through the maps below to view different parts of Ukraine, including the situation in key regions such as Luhansk, Donetsk, Kursk and Belgorod.

Trump 'trying to help' Ukraine over weapons shipments

Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy will discuss the paused US shipments of military aid when they speak on the phone later today, Ukraine's president says.

Washington's decision to halt some weapons deliveries to Kyiv - which it said was due to dwindling, domestic stockpiles - prompted warnings from Ukraine that the move would embolden Russia to keep intensifying its attacks.

Speaking in Denmark yesterday, Zelenskyy said he hoped to speak with Trump about the issue in the coming days. Trump later confirmed the two leaders would speak today.

He said his administration was "trying to help" Ukraine, while also claiming that former US President Joe Biden had depleted the country's weapons stocks with military aid to Kyiv.

"We've given so many weapons — but we are giving weapons, and we're working with (Ukraine), we're trying to help them," Trump said.

"But we haven't... You know, Biden emptied out our whole country giving them weapons, and we have to make sure that we have enough for ourselves."

US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce later insisted that the US was not pulling support from Ukraine, calling it "one event in one situation".

Zelenskyy blasts 'cynical' Russian attack

Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia's huge overnight attacks on Ukraine were "demonstratively significant and cynical".

The Ukrainian president said the first air raid alerts in the country began "almost simultaneously" with the start of yesterday's phone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

He says Kyiv was the main focus of Russia's overnight bombardment, with the capital enduring a "hard, sleepless night".

"All this is obvious proof that without really large-scale pressure, Russia will not change its stupid, destructive behaviour," Zelenskyy adds.

He says sanctions and "other blows to their economy" are the only way to quickly change the situation for the better, "and it depends on the partners, primarily the United States".

Ukrainian drones cause power cut in town near Moscow, officials say

Russian officials in the town of Sergiyev Posad near Moscow say a Ukrainian drone attack this morning injured one person and left parts of the region without power.

The town - which is only 47 miles from the Kremlin - is considered the religious centre of the Moscow region and is the spiritual heart of Russia's Orthodox Church. 

The head of the district said at least four explosions were recorded and that a power substation was damaged, leaving swathes of the district without electricity. 

Russia's defence ministry said its air defences destroyed 48 Ukrainian drones overnight over five regions.

A woman was killed as a result of attacks in the southern Rostov region, the acting governor of the region said.

In numbers: Moscow's biggest aerial attacks on Ukraine

Russia has ramped up the scale of its aerial attacks on Ukraine in the past few months, breaking its record for the most number of missiles and drones launched in one night several times.

In fact, all of Russia's largest drone and missile attacks on Ukraine have come since the beginning of June. Here they are in order:

Kyiv hit by all-night attack

Explosions rocked Kyiv for hours overnight as it was targeted by constant waves of Russian drones.

Officials said the attack damaged residential buildings, businesses, a school, a medical facility, railway lines and other civilian infrastructure in multiple districts. 

Local journalists said smoke from the explosions clogged the air even in neighbourhoods far from the attacks sites.

In his latest update, Kyiv's mayor Vitali Klitschko said that 23 people are known to been injured so far, with 14 of them hospitalised.

Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city's military administration, warned residents to close their windows due to dangerous levels of "combustion products" in the air.

"Russia, a terrorist country, has wreaked havoc," Tkachenko wrote on Telegram. "The Russians bring nothing but terror and murder. That is a fact."

Trump 'disappointed' with Putin and doesn't believe he'll end war

Donald Trump says he's disappointed in Russian President Vladimir Putin and does not think he'll stop the war in Ukraine. 

It comes after the two leaders spoke on the phone yesterday in a conversation Trump said had resulted in no progress at all on efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

The Kremlin said the call was "frank and constructive", with Putin's foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov claiming the two leaders were "on the same wavelength".

He said Putin had told Trump that "Russia will continue to pursue its goals" in Ukraine and "will not back down" from its objectives there.

As we're reporting, last night Ukraine come under the heaviest Russian aerial attack of the war so far.

Trump added he will speak with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, later today.

Ukraine hit by largest Russian aerial attack of war so far

Russia hit Ukraine with what appears to be the heaviest aerial attack of the war last night, launching a combined 550 drones and missiles at the country, according to Ukraine's air force.

The previous largest attack was recorded on 29 June, when the air force said 537 drones and missiles were fired at Ukraine.

Kyiv was under an all-night attack, injuring at least 23 people, damaging railway infrastructure and sparking fires across Ukraine's capital city, authorities said.

Air raid alerts remained active for more than eight hours before eventually being called off at 5am local time (2am UK time).

Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that damage was recorded in six of Kyiv's 10 districts, and that falling drone debris had set a medical facility on fire in one.

Russia also targeted other regions of Ukraine with overnight attacks. Downed drones struck property and a vehicle in the city of Poltava, its regional governor reported, injuring two people.

The massive assault came hours after a phone call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, during which Putin reaffirmed that "Russia will continue to pursue its goals" in Ukraine despite calls for a ceasefire from the West.

-SKY NEWS