KYIV: Ukraine has received 1,200 bodies of its soldiers killed in the war with Russia, Ukrainian officials responsible for exchanging prisoners of war said on Saturday.

The empire strikes back. Last week, Ukrainian spies destroyed a large chunk of Russia's fearsome nuclear bomber fleet using small, smuggled drones. On Friday, Russia retaliated with some of the largest air raids against Ukraine to date.

After Ukraine’s drone strikes on Russian air bases, the two sides talked for about an hour in Istanbul, and a halt to the fighting seems out of reach for now.

Russia and Ukraine swapped prisoners of war on Saturday. Moscow returned 1,200 Ukrainian soldiers' bodies but claims it received no Russian war dead from Kyiv.

A "two week" deadline imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump to see if Russia is serious about peace in Ukraine has been and gone, with Moscow's escalation of attacks on civilians during this period failing to draw the slightest condemnation from the White House.

Russia has maintained a delicate balancing act in the Middle East for decades, trying to navigate its warm relations with Israel even as it has developed strong economic and military ties with Iran.

Israel and Iran stepped up attacks over the weekend, with Jerusalem targeting Iran’s energy sector and Defence Ministry offices, while Tehran responded with drones and missiles. The escalation puts Russia in a difficult position.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says rising global oil prices following Israeli strikes on Iran will strengthen Russia by increasing its oil revenues, aiding its war effort in Ukraine.