Ukraine-Russia – live: Putin has amassed more troops than before war and will not negotiate, EU official warns

Vladimir Putin will not be willing to negotiate while still trying to win the war in Ukraine, the European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell has said. “[Vladimir] Putin has amassed over 300,000 men there, twice as many as he had when he launched the invasion,” he told reporters after an event in Barcelona, pointing to the “enormous” Russian military presence in Ukraine. Mr Borrell said he was “not optimistic” about what could happen to change the situation this summer. At least one person was killed and four injured overnight in Kyiv after Russia continued with its overnight attacks for the third night running. This comes as Russia dispatched units of its airborne troops and motorised rifle units to Bakhmut as private mercenary convicts from the Wagner Group started to exit the frontline city. “Yes, there (in Bakhmut) rotational measures are taking place due primarily to the large losses of the Wagner criminal group. They are forced to do this,” Ukrainian military spokesperson Serhiy Cherevaty said. The war combat dynamics have remained mostly the same in recent days, he added. Read More Russia hits Kyiv in pre-dawn attack as air defenses work to stop relentless bombardment Ukraine warns of revenge attacks after wave of Russian missile strikes on Kyiv Ukraine vows to destroy Russian ‘rapists’ and ‘murderers’ in latest action movie-style trailer