Russia launches one of biggest drone attacks on Kyiv since start of war

 

Massive Russian Assault on Kyiv Follows Prisoner Exchange Amid Ceasefire Hopes

Just hours after Russia and Ukraine initiated a major prisoner exchange seen as a potential first step towards a ceasefire, Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack on Kyiv, injuring 15 people in one of the most intense assaults on the capital since the war began over three years ago.

The strike unfolded in multiple waves early Saturday, with Russian forces deploying 14 ballistic missiles and 250 drones. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted six missiles and neutralized the majority of the drones before they could reach their targets in the city.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described it as a “difficult night for all of Ukraine,” and urged the international community to impose further sanctions on Russia to help push toward a ceasefire.

The bombardment occurred shortly after both countries began a long-anticipated prisoner exchange, releasing hundreds of soldiers and civilians in what was hailed as a breakthrough following a deal brokered in Istanbul earlier in the week. The agreement is widely viewed as a preliminary move toward a broader peace agreement.

As part of the first phase of the exchange, 390 Ukrainian captives were returned home on Friday. On Saturday, Russia’s defense ministry reported that 307 prisoners from each side had been swapped. Zelenskyy said more releases were expected in the coming days, a statement echoed by Russian officials.

Kyiv residents sought shelter in subway stations as air raid sirens blared for over seven hours. Debris from intercepted missiles and several successful strikes damaged buildings across six districts, leaving plumes of smoke and injuring two children among others. In the Obolon district, five people were wounded and a residential building sustained heavy damage, Ukrainian authorities reported.

The latest assault follows a series of Ukrainian drone strikes inside Russia, including some targeting Moscow. In response, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had warned of retaliation.

Standing in front of a bomb-damaged apartment block, 64-year-old Olha Chyrukha expressed frustration and exhaustion: “I just wish they would agree to stop. To bomb civilians like this…”

Many residents said their homes were destroyed or left uninhabitable by the attacks.

Despite the momentum from the prisoner exchange, prospects for a lasting ceasefire remain uncertain. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a location for the next round of peace negotiations had not yet been determined. Lavrov indicated that Russia would present Ukraine with a draft proposal for a truce once the exchange process concluded. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, however, said no such document had been received and instead accused Moscow of continuing its deadly assault on civilians.

“Russia hasn’t sent any ‘peace memorandum’—only more drones and missiles,” Sybiha said on Telegram.

Global calls to end the conflict have intensified in recent months. U.S. President Donald Trump has named resolving the war a priority for his administration and has invited both nations to rejoin talks, a proposal both Kyiv and Moscow have tentatively accepted.

European leaders, meanwhile, have criticized Russia for delaying negotiations while continuing its military campaign. On Saturday, Russia claimed to have captured several settlements—Stupochki, Otradne, and Loknia—in Ukraine’s Donetsk and Sumy regions.

Following the Kyiv strikes, Zelenskyy accused Russia of deliberately undermining peace efforts, a charge Moscow has also directed at Ukraine.

“With every attack like this, it becomes clearer to the world that Moscow is responsible for prolonging this war,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. “Ukraine has repeatedly offered a ceasefire—but all of those offers have been ignored.”