Russia and Ukraine exchanged soldiers killed in the conflict for the first time

Bloomberg quoted the announcement of the Ukrainian authorities as saying that Moscow and Kiev had exchanged the bodies of 160 soldiers killed in battle on each side. This is the first public exchange of dead soldiers’ bodies since the conflict broke out in late February.

According to the Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporary Occupied Territories of Ukraine, the exchange took place in the Zaporizhzhia region on June 2.

Russia is gradually expanding control of the Donbass region in the second phase of the special military operation. Over the past week, the Russian advance has pushed deep into Severodonetsk, one of the last two major cities in the Lugansk province that Kiev still controls. Meanwhile, Ukraine is both trying to cope with overwhelming Russian fire on the eastern front, while urging the West to increase aid with more advanced long-range weapons to help it “change the world”. play”.

According to Reuters news agency, in an interview excerpt aired on June 5, President Vladimir Putin claimed that the Russian Air Defense Forces had shot down dozens of modern weapons of Ukraine.

“Our air defense systems easily coped with and destroyed this weapon. Dozens of weapons were destroyed,” Putin said, referring to the weapons of the Ukrainian air force. While it’s not clear exactly what weapons they were, Russia says it destroyed both Ukrainian planes and missiles.

Meanwhile, on June 4, the Ukrainian military said it had counter-attacked and repelled Russian troops in Sievierodonetsk, retaking about a fifth of the city’s area of ​​​​Lugansk region. According to the head of the area, fighting is raging in the streets of this industrial city. Sievierodonetsk is seen as Moscow’s main goal to help it gain control of the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine.

The governor of the Lugansk region, Serhiy Gaidai, said Russian forces had suffered a heavy defeat and were blowing up bridges over the River Siverskyi Donets to prevent Ukraine from sending reinforcements and providing aid to civilians. in Sievierodonetsk.