Ukraine-Russia war latest: Moscow threatens to ‘melt’ Kyiv as hundreds freed in major prisoner exchange deal

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said Russia could destroy Kyiv in response to the use of Western long-range missiles by Ukraine .

Mr Medvedev said Moscow already had formal grounds to use nuclear weapons since Ukraine‘s incursion into Russia’s Kursk region, but could instead use some new weapon technologies to reduce Kyiv to “a giant melted spot” when its patience runs out.

“And that would be it. A giant, grey, melted spot instead of ‘the mother of Russian cities’,” he wrote on the Telegram messaging app, referring to Kyiv.

Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine have exchanged prisoners of war, with each side releasing 103 people, the Interfax news agency reported citing Russia’s defence ministry.

It comes as UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer met with US president Joe Biden at the White House where they discussed the conflict. There was no announcement on the use of British and US long-range missiles by Ukraine .

Mr Zelensky has pleaded with allies for months to allow his military to fire long-range US ATACMS and British Storm Shadow missiles at Russian targets.

Putin warned Nato will be directly at war with Moscow if the US and UK allow Kyiv to use the weapons.