Russia launched a large-scale aerial attack on Kyiv overnight, deploying dozens of drones and missiles in one of the most intense strikes on the Ukrainian capital since the war began three years ago. The assault damaged several apartment complexes and left 15 people injured.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the night as “tough” in a social media post and urged the international community to impose additional sanctions on Moscow to push for a ceasefire.
Mass Prisoner Exchange Between Russia and Ukraine
Russia and Ukraine exchanged a total of 390 prisoners, with both sides indicating that further exchanges are expected soon. Reuters reporters in Kyiv witnessed multiple waves of drones and heard a series of explosions in the early morning, as the city’s air defenses attempted to intercept the incoming threats.
Photos captured by Reuters showed an orange-red glow over the city skyline with smoke trailing across the horizon. Flames and smoke were seen billowing from the balcony of a top-floor apartment, as firefighters struggled to approach the blaze.
Authorities later confirmed that six districts of Kyiv suffered damage. Of the 15 injured, three required hospitalization, and two were children. Kyiv’s military administration characterized the strike as one of the largest combined drone and missile offensives to date.
US Pushes Peace Talks as Sanctions Debate Continues
The assault came as former U.S. President Donald Trump encouraged peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, though he opposed a European initiative for new sanctions against Russia.
Among those caught in the strike was 63-year-old pensioner Halyna Tatarchuk. She and her husband had taken shelter in their corridor, away from the windows—an act she said saved their lives. They later took refuge in a school bomb shelter and returned home at daylight to find shattered windows and glass strewn across the floor.
“I want Trump to see this,” she said, surveying the wreckage. “Doesn’t he see what’s happening? They’re destroying us.”
Outside her building, tree branches were shattered, and cars had their windows blown out. Municipal crews worked to clear the debris.
Ukraine Hit With Hundreds of Drones and Missiles
Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia had launched 14 ballistic missiles and 250 long-range drones across the country, with Kyiv as the main target. This follows a series of Ukrainian drone attacks—around 800—targeting sites inside Russia, including Moscow. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had promised retaliation for those strikes.
Just hours before the barrage, the two countries conducted a significant prisoner swap. President Zelenskyy confirmed the return of 307 Ukrainian service members. Russian negotiators are preparing a memorandum intended to lay the groundwork for further peace discussions, although no details on timing or location have been disclosed.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha criticized Russia’s actions, stating, “Russia has not sent a peace memorandum—only deadly drones and missiles.”
Zelenskyy echoed the sentiment, saying the attacks confirm Russia’s role as a barrier to peace and called for increased sanctions on vital Russian industries to compel a ceasefire.
Russia did not immediately comment on the assault. However, on Saturday, its Defense Ministry claimed to have seized the settlements of Stupochki, Otradne, and Loknia in Ukraine’s Donetsk and Sumy regions. Reuters was unable to independently confirm these battlefield developments.
