Joint Russian-Syrian air force and air defence exercises will begin in Syria on July 5 and last six days.

Rear Admiral Oleg Gurinov, head of the Russian Reconciliation Centre for Syria, announced the drills on Tuesday, according to Russian news agencies.

“In the course of training it is planned to work out the issues of joint actions of aviation, air defense and electronic warfare forces in repulsion of air strikes,” Gurinov said.

Russians are “united as never before,” Vladimir Putin said at his first international summit since an armed revolt that briefly triggered fears of a coup.

“Solidarity and responsibility for the fate of the fatherland was clearly shown,” he said, “by the entire society by standing as a united front against the attempted armed rebellion.”

He was speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting, hosted via videoconference by India and one of the few remaining global platforms where he can get a sympathetic hearing.

Read more from Alastair Jamieson:

The Kremlin on Tuesday held the door open for contacts with the US regarding a possible prisoner exchange that could potentially involve jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, but reaffirmed that such talks must be held out of the public eye.

Asked whether Monday’s consular visits to Gershkovich, who has been held behind bars in Moscow since March on charges of espionage, and Vladimir Dunaev, a Russian citizen in U.S. custody on cybercrime charges, could potentially herald a prisoner swap, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow and Washington have touched on the issue.

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Bel Trew travels the Dnipro River speaking to some of those who have been left with nothing after the floodwaters wrecked their homes, and hears from officials warning of the extreme long-term consequences that could be felt by the rest of the world.

Pope Francis’ peace envoy for Ukraine, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, said on Tuesday he is working on a “mechanism” that could ensure the return of children who according to Kyiv have been abducted to Russia.

“We’ll see how we can start the mechanism for the children (and) help as we have said on the humanitarian front, particularly the children that must be able to return to Ukraine”, Zuppi said at a book presentation in Rome.

He said he had personally discussed the issue with Francis.

The Italian cardinal visited Moscow last week, and was previously in the Ukrainian capital. The Vatican has described his efforts as “aimed at identifying humanitarian initiatives, which could open roads to peace”.

Speaking to Italian public broadcaster RAI on Sunday, Zuppi clarified he was not working on a “peace plan” or a “mediation” between Kyiv and Moscow, saying he was focusing on “humanitarian aspects”.

Dozens of people with flowers, many unable to hold back tears, bid farewell Tuesday to an award-winning Ukrainian writer who was among those killed by a Russian missile attack on a popular restaurant in eastern Ukraine.

The memorial service for Victoria Amelina, 37, was held in the crowded main hall of Saint-Michael’s Cathedral in Kyiv, where ceremonies are usually held for soldiers who were killed on the battlefield.

Amelina died in a hospital from injuries sustained in the June 27 strike on a popular restaurant frequently visited by journalists and aid workers in the city of Kramatorsk. Twelve other people also lost their lives in the attack.

Ukrainian officials said at least 38 people, including 12 children, were wounded in a Russian missile strike on Tuesday which an officer said targeted a military funeral in the northeastern Kharkiv region.

Russians are “united as never before,” Vladimir Putin said at his first international summit since an armed revolt that briefly triggered fears of a coup.

“Solidarity and responsibility for the fate of the fatherland was clearly shown,” he said, “by the entire society by standing as a united front against the attempted armed rebellion.”

He was speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting, hosted via videoconference by India and one of the few remaining global platforms where he can get a sympathetic hearing.

Alastair Jamieson reports:

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday that 185,000 new recruits had joined the Russian army as professional contract soldiers since the start of the year.

In a video posted on Telegram, Medvedev, who was earlier this year appointed to a role overseeing Russia’s domestic military production, said that almost 10,000 new recruits had joined up in the last week, after a mutiny by the Wagner Group mercenary organisation was quelled and its fighters were given the option of signing on as regular soldiers.