Ukrainian President Zelensky reportedly denied claims by former US President Trump regarding the impact of Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries on American energy prices. Meanwhile, the US has reportedly been discreetly reducing its military and diplomatic presence across the Middle East. In other news, Montenegro aims to join the EU by 2028, according to Russia's ambassador to the country.

Russia and Ukraine conducted an exchange of bodies of deceased servicemen. Separately, a Moscow court reportedly kept a political scientist in pre-trial detention despite a leg fracture. Russia's President Putin has not yet finalized the delegation for new trilateral talks on Ukraine. Journalists have highlighted the poor condition of a children's ward at an Irkutsk hospital. Tatarstan is set to introduce a new 'drone control' test into its GTO fitness program. A court also rejected Euroclear's appeal against a claim by the Bank of Russia for 18.2 trillion rubles.