President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Defense Minister Rustem Umerov would sit down with Russian officials at the second round of peace talks on Monday.

Ukrainian and Russian delegations made modest but concrete progress in renewed peace talks in Istanbul on Monday, raising cautious hopes for a potential easing of hostilities through expanded humanitarian measures, including the largest prisoner exchange since the onset of the conflict.

Delegations from the warring sides met for barely an hour and agreed to exchange more prisoners of war - focusing on the youngest and most severely wounded - and return the bodies of 12,000 dead soldiers.

Asian shares sank on Monday and oil prices jumped as trade tensions and the Russian-Ukraine conflict ratcheted up geopolitical uncertainty. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng plunged more than 2% as Beijing and Washington traded harsh words over trade.

Ukraine will have to withdraw troops, ensure no foreign military presence, cancel martial law, hold elections within 100 days of truce - Anadolu Ajansı

Ukraine carried out a daring attack on nuclear-capable bombers deep in Sibera and a highway bridge was blown up over a passenger train.

Ukraine and Russia met in Istanbul on Monday to exchange memorandums on a possible ceasefire to end Vladimir Putin’s three-year war, despite a gulf remaining between the two sides’ positions.

After closing out its best month since 2023, Wall Street opened with losses on Monday as the Russia-Ukraine conflict escalated over the weekend, contributing to broader market anxiety and a jump in oil prices.

Global shares have fallen and oil prices jumped as trade tensions and the Russian-Ukraine conflict ratcheted up geopolitical uncertainty.

Ukraine’s daring strike on Russian bombers far from the frontlines highlights the dominance of drones, as the tech grows ever more deadly.