SNAPSHOT-Russia's war on Ukraine latest: Huge blaze injures 34 in latest wave of Russian strikes

Elsewhere, major cities appeared to have survived unscathed, with Ukraine saying its air defence crews destroyed 15 out of 18 missiles. FIGHTING * A Ukrainian general said forces had pushed Russian troops out of some parts of the battlefield city of Bakhmut but conditions there were difficult. * An explosion derailed a freight train in Russia's Bryansk region which borders Ukraine, the governor said.

Russia fired missiles at targets across Ukraine overnight in its second major air strike in three days, setting off a huge blaze in the southeastern Pavlohrad district, where 34 people were wounded and dozens of homes damaged. Elsewhere, major cities appeared to have survived unscathed, with Ukraine saying its air defence crews destroyed 15 out of 18 missiles.

FIGHTING * A Ukrainian general said forces had pushed Russian troops out of some parts of the battlefield city of Bakhmut but conditions there were difficult.

* An explosion derailed a freight train in Russia's Bryansk region which borders Ukraine, the governor said. * The Ukrainian military described a fire in Sevastopol, on the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula, as part of preparation for Ukraine's planned upcoming counteroffensive. Russia has blamed Saturday's huge fire on an attack by Ukrainian drones.

DIPLOMACY * The Vatican is involved in a peace mission to try to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Pope Francis said on Sunday, telling reporters that he was willing to do everything that has to be done.

* French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy spoke by phone on Sunday and discussed Ukraine's military needs, both sides said. GRAIN

* Ukraine's grain exports totalled 3.62 million tonnes in April compared with 923,000 tonnes in April 2022 when all the country's Black Sea ports were blocked due to the Russian invasion, Ukrainian farm ministry data showed. RECENT IN-DEPTH STORIES

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