Russia has returned the bodies of 501 soldiers to Ukraine, marking the largest repatriation of war dead since the onset of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Ukrainian officials report these soldiers were primarily killed during intense combat in the eastern Donetsk region, particularly near Avdiivka, which fell to Russian forces in February. Ukrainian authorities will now identify these fallen soldiers before returning them to their families for burial.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has unveiled elements of his 'victory plan,' which is aimed at bringing the war to a close. This proposal is under review by Ukraine's Western allies, upon whom Ukraine heavily relies for support. Key to the plan is a formal invitation for Ukraine's accession to NATO, a topic met with hesitance from the West until conflict deescalates. President Biden, meeting in Berlin, underscored the ongoing commitment of Ukraine's allies to support Kyiv.
As for the evolving battlefield, reports indicate 11,000 North Korean troops are training in Russia to bolster efforts against Ukraine. Ukrainian Military Intelligence disclosed that the first 2,600 North Korean soldiers are preparing to fortify Russian positions in the Kursk region. Concurrently, Ukraine faced one of the largest drone assaults, as Russia launched 135 Shahed drones. The Ukrainian air force intercepted most; details on casualties or infrastructure damage are yet to emerge as hostilities continue. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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