Ukrainian soldiers returned home through a prisoner exchange with Russia, reuniting with their families in a rare display of cooperation between the two nations.
However, this exchange occurred shortly after a significant drone and missile assault on Kyiv by Vladimir Putin’s army, resulting in a minimum of 15 casualties.
The swap involved the release of 307 soldiers by each side, as confirmed by President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia’s defense ministry. Additionally, 390 prisoners were freed by both parties the day before the soldier exchange.
Further releases expected over the weekend are set to make the swap the largest in more than three years of war.
‘We expect more to come tomorrow,’ Zelenskyy said on his official Telegram channel.
Russia’s defense ministry also said it expected the exchange to continue, though it did not give any further details.
The prisoner swap is the first phase of a complicated deal involving the exchange of 1,000 detainees from each side.
The deal was agreed during talks held in Istanbul earlier this month – the first time the two sides met face to face for peace talks since Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion.
Ukrainian prisoners of war Yuriy Yuzvyak shares a happy moment with his wife Olena after spending months in a Russian prison
Ukrainian prisoners of war are seen as they return after a swap in an undisclosed location
People show photos of their missed relatives to Ukrainian soldiers during a POWs exchange between Russia and Ukraine
Today’s exchange took place at an undisclosed location in Ukraine and the released Russians were taken to Belarus for treatment, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
Those who were not reunited with their loved ones took solace in the released POWs providing some information about when their relatives were last seen.
Anna Marchenko, the daughter of a missing Ukrainian serviceman, was elated when a released POW said they had seen her father.
‘This is such a big news. It’s like a fresh breath of air,’ she said. ‘I didn’t see him, but at least it’s some news. At least it’s news that gives us the opportunity to continue to breathe and live in peace.’
Hours before the prisoner swap, explosions and anti-aircraft fire were heard throughout Kyiv as Russian drones and missiles targeted the city overnight.
Officials said Russia fired 14 ballistic missiles and used 250 Shahed drones overnight.
Ukrainian forces, however, shot down six missiles and neutralized 245 drones – 128 were shot down and 117 were thwarted using electronic warfare.
The Kyiv City Military Administration said it was one of the biggest combined missile and drone attacks on the capital.
‘A difficult night for all of us,’ the administration said in a statement.
Ukrainian prisoners of war react as they get off a bus after spending months in a Russian prison on May 24
Today’s exchange took place at an undisclosed location in Ukraine and the released Russians were taken to Belarus for treatment, the Russian Defense Ministry said
Russian prisoners of war are seen after landing at Chkalovsky air base following a prisoner swap
Posting on X, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called it ‘clear evidence that increased sanctions pressure on Moscow is necessary to accelerate the peace process.’
Posting on X, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy spoke of ‘another night of terror for Ukrainian civilians.’
‘These are not the actions of a country seeking peace,’ Lammy said of the Russian strike.
Katarina Mathernová, the European Union’s ambassador to Kyiv, described the attack as ‘horrific.’
‘If anyone still doubts Russia wants war to continue – read the news,’ Katarina Mathernová wrote on the social network.
The debris of the intercepted missiles and drones fell in at least six Kyiv city districts.
According to the acting head of the city’s military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, six people required medical care after the attack.
Two fires were sparked in Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district.
The Obolon district, where a residential building was badly damaged in the attack, was the hardest hit with at least five injured in the area, the administration said.
Ukrainian prisoners of war walk as they return after a swap amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine
Ukrainian soldiers walk though a human corridor with people holding photos of their missed relatives
Russian prisoners of war are seen after landing at Chkalovsky air base following a prisoner swap
Medical workers move an injured Ukrainian soldier into an ambulance after returning from captivity
Russian prisoners of war are seen sitting in a bus after landing at Chkalovsky air base following a prisoner swap
Yurii Bondarchuk, a local resident, said the air raid siren ‘started as usual, then the drones started to fly around as they constantly do.’
Moments later, he heard a boom and saw shattered glass fly through the air.
‘The balcony is totally wiped out, as well as the windows and the doors,’ he said as he stood in the dark.
The air raid alert in Kyiv lasted more than seven hours, warning of incoming missiles and drones.
Kyiv’s mayor, Vitalii Klitschko, warned residents ahead of the attack that more than 20 Russian strike drones were heading toward the city.
As the attack continued, he said drone debris fell on a shopping mall and a residential building in Obolon. Emergency services were headed to the site, Klitschko said.
Separately, 13 civilians were killed on Friday and overnight into Saturday in Russian attacks in Ukraine’s south, east and north, regional authorities said.
Three people died after a Russian ballistic missile targeted port infrastructure in Odesa on the Black Sea.
Russia later claimed the strike on Friday targeted a cargo ship carrying military equipment.
