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.

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

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.

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.

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.

After a phone call Monday between Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia, Trump appears to be walking away from negotiations for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.