Jun 26, 2026, 11:30 PM UTC

Ukraine successfully repatriated 160 military personnel in the 76th prisoner exchange, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed. The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War noted that 115 of those released were defenders of Mariupol, aged between 26 and 66. While President Zelenskyy and Радіо Свобода indicated that these individuals had been held since 2022, Українська правда reported their captivity lasted four years. The Russian Ministry of Defense also acknowledged the exchange.

Separately, Russian forces launched seven Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 189 uncrewed aerial vehicles towards the Kyiv and Poltava regions overnight on June 25-26. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 177 targets, including three ballistic missiles and 174 drones, but four missiles and eleven drones struck various sites. Ukraine's General Staff updated its assessment of Russian military personnel losses to 1,398,370 since the full-scale invasion, with 1,310 reported in the preceding 24 hours. Sources: Громадське, Радіо Свобода, Українська правда

Burkina Faso's military government officially severed diplomatic relations with France on June 26, citing "incessant activism" and "neo-colonial ambitions" against its national interests. This rupture follows years of escalating tensions and comes after the European Parliament adopted a critical resolution concerning the Burkinabe junta. The government, led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, stated the decision was effective immediately, marking a significant escalation in the strained relationship between the two nations. Paris has gradually reduced its military and diplomatic presence in the Sahel amidst growing anti-French sentiment and a series of coups in the region.

Sources: Le Monde