The first direct Ukraine-Russia talks did not deliver a ceasefire but it did result in the largest prisoner swap of the war. CHERNIHIV REGION, Ukraine — For hours Friday, a crowd of hopefuls stood on the roadside wrapped in blue-and-yellow flags and clutching photos of captured Ukrainian soldiers — their eyes peeled for any sign of buses.

Ukraine said its drones hit production facilities of a company that makes batteries used to power Russian missiles.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov cast doubt on Friday over the Vatican as a potential location for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, saying that the Holy See itself would find it uncomfortable to host two mainly Orthodox Christian nations.

Edward Deveaux, a 30-year-old robbery suspect from Berlin Township, New Jersey, returned to the U.S. on Friday after nearly three years on the run in Ukraine.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called on President Xi Jinping to support a joint US-European push to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine, in his first phone call with the Chinese leader on Friday.

Michelle Heisner, Andrii Moskalyk and Yanshu Zhang of Baker McKenzie discuss the legal framework, details and ongoing issues relating to the U.S.-Ukraine mineral deal.

Valery Zaluzhnyi, now Ukraine's ambassador to London, was replaced as top commander in February 2024 after months of reported disagreements between him and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.