Kyiv Struck by Major Russian Air Barrage After Prisoner Swap

Ukraine’s capital was targeted by a Russian drone and missile barrage overnight, hours after the warring sides started a large prisoner swap that’s due to continue over the weekend.

Explosions were heard across the city and debris from intercepted projectiles fell in several districts, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram. Social media posts showed multiple plumes of smoke above the city and damaged high-rise apartment buildings. 

The head of Kyiv’s military administration called the air attack the “most massive” the capital has faced so far in the war, which is well into its fourth year. At least 15 people were injured in Kyiv, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X. 

“This is Russia’s response to international peace efforts and a clear evidence that increased sanctions pressure on Moscow is necessary to accelerate the peace process,” Sybiha said.

In all, Russia fired 250 Shahed and other drones and 14 ballistic missiles into Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force said on Telegram. Most of the UAVs were shot down or jammed and six of the missiles were intercepted. 

Other locations targeted included Odesa on the Black Sea coast, Ukraine’s third largest city, as well as the Vinnytsia, Sumy, Kharkiv, Donetsk and Dnipro regions, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on social media. 

The strikes came hours after Russia and Ukraine began swapping soldiers and civilians in the first phase of an exchange agreed between Kyiv and Moscow at a meeting in Istanbul last week.

The handover took place at the border between Belarus and northern Ukraine, with 390 people swapped from each side. The total exchange should reach 1,000 prisoners from each country and is expected to continue through the weekend.

Last week’s Istanbul meeting marked the first direct talks between the warring parties in more than three years, and the prisoner swap is the main tangible result of the talks so far. 

Zelenskiy offered to travel to Turkey for the talks, and challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet him there to discuss a ceasefire. 

Putin, who never indicated he’d personally take part personally in the discussions, sent a low-level delegation headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky. 

“One week has passed since the Istanbul meeting, and Russia has yet to send its ‘peace memorandum.’ Instead, Russia sends deadly drones and missiles at civilians,” Sybiha said.

Separately on Saturday, Russia said it repelled 94 Ukrainian drones overnight across several regions of central Russia.

The city of Yelets in Russia’s Lipetsk region was targeted for the second day, including in an industrial area, local governor said. Ukraine on Friday said its hit production facilities of a company in Yelets that makes batteries used to power Russian missiles. 

With assistance from Michael Heath.

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