Ukraine-Russia war: Ceasefire proposal in town of Kostiantynivka rejected by Ukraine, Russia says

Ukraine has refused to halt shelling of the town of Kostiantynivka in the east of the country to allow Russia to hand over the bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers, Russia’s defence ministry says.

Russian army commanders told President Vladimir Putin on Friday that Russian troops had taken control of Kostiantynivka although Ukraine denied the claim, saying its forces remained in control of the town.

Kostiantynivka is a key locality whose capture Russia has long sought in its military campaign in the Donetsk region.

Russia said it had proposed a six-hour ceasefire in and around Kostiantynivka on Monday to facilitate the handover of Ukrainian servicemen’s bodies and had given Ukraine until Sunday morning to respond.

Ukraine’s defence ministry and general staff did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

Ukrainian authorities said on Sunday both Ukraine and Russia again caused a number of casualties and damage on both sides in mutual attacks.

Russia’s Gvardeyskoye military airfield on the occupied Crimean Peninsula was attacked during the night, Ukraine’s General Staff said on Telegram.

The extent of the damage was initially unclear.

For the Russian military, the airfield is considered the most important base in Crimea.

Ukrainian troops also attacked key transport routes for Russian resupply.

Among other things, two road bridges in the Donbas were destroyed.

The Ukrainian General Staff gave no information about the weapons used.

Russian troops targeted various sites in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv in the afternoon.

At least one person was killed and 11 others injured in attacks using drones and missiles, Kharkiv governor Oleh Syniehubov said on Telegram.

US President Donald Trump will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of a NATO summit on Wednesday afternoon, a US spokeswoman said on Sunday.

The two-day summit of the NATO military alliance begins on Tuesday in the Turkish capital Ankara.

Neither Russia nor Ukraine is making any significant military progress as their mutual attacks penetrate deep into each other’s territory, a senior US official stressed to reporters.

“So the president feels a real sense of urgency to try to bring this to a stop,” the official said.

The US is confident that progress could be made when Mr Trump and Mr Zelensky meet.

Mr Trump would also get in touch with Mr Putin, the official said.

At the NATO summit, Ukraine is also to receive a new pledge of military aid worth billions of euros.

Representatives of the alliance’s 32 member states agreed on this in Brussels a few days before the top-level meeting during final deliberations on the planned summit declaration.

Mr Trump is scheduled to leave Ankara for Washington DC on Wednesday evening.

with DPA