LONDON — Russia launched a big drone and missile assault on Kyiv early Saturday, injuring six and damaging buildings throughout town as the subsequent stage of a prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia is ready for as we speak, with 390 folks already freed and as much as 1000 inmates anticipated to be launched within the coming days.
Russia fired 14 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles and 250 Shahed drones, largely concentrating on Kyiv. Ukraine’s Air Drive stated it shot down six missiles and 245 drones.
Not less than 17 folks have been injured in Kyiv, with residential buildings and infrastructure broken throughout a number of districts.
Elsewhere, Russian shelling in Kherson area over the previous day killed two folks and injured 13, damaging vital and social infrastructure, together with three condo buildings and 12 personal properties. Russian forces additionally killed 4 and injured eight extra Within the Donetsk area on Friday.
In Russia, Ukrainian drone assaults in a single day and on Saturday morning injured three folks and focused industrial websites within the Lipetsk and Tula areas. The Russian Protection Ministry claimed 94 drones have been downed over six areas.
In the meantime, Ukraine’s Protection Intelligence (HUR) says Russian forces have executed greater than 150 captured Ukrainian troopers because the begin of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, describing it as a part of a deliberate marketing campaign by Moscow’s management.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy referred to as for stronger sanctions towards Russia, saying Moscow’s intention is to extend the conflict by rejecting ceasefire proposals.
The trade was ready following bilateral peace talks in Istanbul final week.
Ukrainian prisoners of conflict are seen after a swap, amid Russia’s assault on Ukraine, at an unknown location in Ukraine, on this handout image launched Might 23, 2025.
Ukrainian Presidential Press Service by way of Reuters
Russian International Minister Sergey Lavrov stated Friday that when the swap is full, Russia will hand over a draft “outlining the situations for attaining a sustainable, long-term, complete settlement settlement,” in line with Russian state media.
Ukrainian Protection Minister Rustem Umerov stated Friday that Ukraine is dedicated to a ceasefire and referred to as the trade the “first stage.”
“We achieved 1,000 for 1,000. After this, if it is going to be profitable, as I stated first is exchanges, second is the ceasefire,” he stated.
Such exchanges have taken place all through Russia’s 3-year-old invasion, although the swap — as soon as accomplished — can be by far the biggest to this point. Prisoner exchanges are one of many few areas during which Moscow and Kyiv have been in a position to attain an accord through the battle.
