Ukraine war latest: Russia's advance in Sumy Oblast 'halted'; Kyiv, Moscow carry out POW swap

Key developments on June 26:

• "50,000 Russian troops pinned down" — Ukraine halts advance in Sumy Oblast, summer offensive "faltering," Syrskyi says
• Ukraine, Russia conduct new POW swap under Istanbul deal
• North Korea likely to send more troops to Russia by August, South Korea says
• Explosions reported in Moscow, Russia claims 50 Ukrainian drones downed across country

Ukraine has halted Russia's advance in Sumy Oblast, stabilizing the front line and blunting the momentum of Moscow's summer offensive, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on June 26.

"Based on the results of May and June, we can say that this year's wave of the enemy's summer offensive from Russian territory is faltering," Syrskyi said, reporting that Russian troops in the northeastern border region had been stopped.

Moscow launched its new summer campaign in May, aiming to push deeper into Ukraine's northeast and eastern regions, disregarding Kyiv's calls for an unconditional ceasefire.

Russian forces had made modest gains, occupying around 449 square kilometers (173 square miles) in May, the highest monthly total in 2025, according to the open-source intelligence group DeepState.

In Sumy Oblast, however, the line of contact has stabilized. Syrskyi said Ukrainian troops are not only defending but also reclaiming ground using active defense tactics.

"In certain areas, our units are liberating Ukrainian territory," he said.

Ukraine, Russia conduct new POW swap under Istanbul deal

Ukraine has brought home a group of soldiers released from Russian captivity, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 26, marking yet another in a recent series of exchanges with Moscow.

"Today, soldiers of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, and the State Border Guard Service are returning home," Zelensky said without revealing their numbers.

The exchange follows six similar swaps carried out in recent weeks in accordance with agreements reached between Kyiv and Moscow at the second round of peace talks in Istanbul on June 2.

As in the other recent swaps, the latest one focused on severely ill and wounded POWs and also included a group of young soldiers under the age of 25, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War (POWs) said.

Most of those released had been in Russian captivity since 2022, with the youngest being a 24-year-old soldier taken prisoner during the battle for Mariupol. The oldest of the freed captives was 62.

The released soldiers fought elsewhere in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Kharkiv, Sumy, and Kyiv oblasts. Among those freed are several officers, according to the headquarters.

"We are doing everything possible to find each person and verify information about every name," Zelensky said. "We must bring all our people home."

Russia's Defense Ministry also announced a prisoner exchange with the Ukrainian side, without specifying the number of soldiers involved.

North Korea likely to send more troops to Russia by August, South Korea says

North Korea is likely to send more troops to Russia as early as July or August to bolster Moscow's war effort against Ukraine, South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) said during a closed-door briefing, Yonhap reported on June 26.

According to lawmakers briefed by the NIS, Pyongyang has already begun recruiting soldiers for deployment to Russia. The latest intelligence adds to growing concerns about the expanding scope of North Korea's involvement in Russia's war.

The additional troop deployment would come on top of what Seoul estimates is already substantial support from North Korea, including the transfer of over 10 million artillery shells, and ballistic missiles in exchange for economic and technical assistance.

Yonhap's reporting follows recent findings that Pyongyang may send up to 25,000 laborers to Russia to support drone production, specifically Shahed-type loitering munitions, at the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan, according to Japan's NHK broadcaster.

In return, Pyongyang reportedly seeks training in drone operations, signaling an effort to integrate advanced unmanned aerial capabilities into its own military arsenal.

Explosions reported in Moscow, Russia claims 50 Ukrainian drones downed across country

Explosions were reported in Moscow overnight on June 26, prompting airport closures, with Russia's Defense Ministry claiming 50 Ukrainian drones were downed across the country.

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said emergency services were at the sites where two drones were downed.

According to the Shot Telegram channel, which appears to be close to Russian security forces, debris from a downed drone struck a residential building.

"Alarms went off everywhere," a local resident told the channel.

Ukraine's military regularly strikes military targets deep within Russia in an attempt to diminish Moscow's fighting power as it continues its war against Ukraine.

Russia's Defense Ministry later claimed 50 Ukrainian drones had been downed across the country, two of which were "flying towards Moscow."

The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these claims.

Kaluga airport and Moscow's Vnukovo airport had flight restrictions imposed amid the drone attack, Artyom Korenyako, a spokesperson for Russia's state aviation agency Rosaviatsia, said early on June 26.

"The airport is temporarily not accepting or sending flights. Aircraft crews, air traffic controllers, and airport services must take all necessary measures to ensure flight safety," he said.

The restrictions were later lifted.

Note from the author:

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