Officials say at least nine 3,000kg aerial bombs hit a southern Ukrainian village in what the president called an "utterly horrific" attack.

Western officials stress that any force sent to Ukraine would not take part in any offensive operations.

The National Transportation Safety Board also believes weather could have been a factor in the crash, but warns it is too early to determine the cause.

The temperature of freezers in several shops across Europe reportedly rose to as high as 50C.

Though unprecedented, the six-day truce has done little to alter the wider trajectory of a war that continues to grinds on.

A rights group will argue the world-leading policy robs under-16s of their right to free communication.