Updated: Mass Prisoner Exchange Amid Fresh Strikes in Kyiv \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Russia and Ukraine exchanged over 600 prisoners in a rare moment of cooperation amid continued violence, including massive missile and drone strikes on Kyiv. The swap, expected to grow to 1,000 POWs each, marks the largest in over three years of war. Despite diplomatic gestures, fierce fighting and air assaults persist.
Quick Looks
- Russia and Ukraine exchanged 307 soldiers each on Saturday
- Friday’s swap involved 390 combatants and civilians per side
- Prisoner release follows May peace talks in Istanbul
- Ukraine expects further releases, totaling 1,000 exchanged per side
- Massive Russian drone and missile attack injured 26+ in Kyiv
- Debris damaged residential buildings; air raid lasted 7+ hours
- Turkish FM calls the swap a “confidence-building measure”
- EU and UK leaders condemn Russia’s ongoing airstrikes
- Civilian casualties continue in Odesa, Obolon, and northern Ukraine
- Both sides remain far apart on terms for peace agreement
Deep Look
In a moment that juxtaposed a rare diplomatic breakthrough with intensifying violence, Russia and Ukraine conducted one of their largest prisoner swaps since the war began more than three years ago. The exchange, which began Friday and continued into Saturday, saw over 600 prisoners of war returned home, even as Russian missiles and drones rained down on Kyiv, injuring dozens and causing widespread damage.
A Swap in the Shadow of War
The exchange came during a brutal weekend for Ukraine. Hours before the latest release, Kyiv was struck by a large-scale Russian air assault that injured at least 15 people. By early Sunday morning, the capital faced another combined drone and missile barrage, injuring 11 more. Kyiv’s air raid alert lasted over seven hours, as anti-aircraft fire and explosions rocked multiple districts.
Despite these conditions, 307 Ukrainian and 307 Russian soldiers were exchanged on Saturday, following a similar swap Friday involving 390 combatants and civilians from each side. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed more exchanges were expected, saying, “We expect more to come tomorrow.”
Russia’s defense ministry also acknowledged the continuation of the prisoner deal, although it provided fewer specifics.
Talks and Trust—Or Tactical Delay?
The prisoner exchange was brokered during rare face-to-face peace talks in Istanbul earlier in May. The deal—1,000 prisoners each—represents a confidence-building measure, according to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. It was also the first major diplomatic initiative between Kyiv and Moscow in nearly a year.
But any sense of momentum is fragile. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov indicated Moscow would offer Ukraine a draft for a “sustainable, long-term, comprehensive” peace plan once the full exchange is completed. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said no agreement has been reached on the next meeting’s location.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian and Western officials are skeptical. They accuse Russia of using such measures to buy time and reposition its military for renewed offensives, rather than to engage in genuine diplomacy.
‘A Difficult Night’ in Kyiv
The capital of Ukraine endured one of its most intense aerial attacks in months. Ukrainian forces shot down six ballistic missiles and 245 Shahed drones—128 destroyed by missiles and another 117 neutralized through electronic warfare, according to Ukraine’s military.
The Kyiv City Military Administration called it a “difficult night,” while Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha posted that the assault proved the need for harsher sanctions on Moscow. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and EU Ambassador Katarina Mathernová echoed the sentiment, calling the attack “another night of terror” and “horrific.”
In the Obolon district, where a residential building took a direct hit, residents fled or sheltered in place. Debris ignited fires and injured at least five. One local, Yurii Bondarchuk, described the moment of impact:
“The balcony is totally wiped out, as well as the windows and the doors… I just heard the boom and saw glass flying.”
Civilians Still Paying the Price
Beyond Kyiv, 13 civilians were reported killed across southern, eastern, and northern Ukraine between Friday and early Saturday. Three of them died when a Russian missile hit port infrastructure in Odesa, an attack Russia claims was aimed at a ship carrying military hardware.
Russia’s Counterclaims and Drone Attacks
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed responsibility for overnight strikes on Ukrainian missile plants and drone launch sites, and also reported shooting down over 100 Ukrainian drones targeting its southern and western provinces. In Tula, south of Moscow, drone strikes injured three people and sparked a fire at an industrial facility.
Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council said those drones targeted a chemical plant producing rocket fuel—a clear escalation of long-range Ukrainian drone capabilities.
Prisoner Swap: Hope for Some, Pain for Others
Despite the horrors unfolding on the ground, the prisoner swap offered emotional relief for hundreds of families. Many Ukrainian POWs returned to facilities in the Chernihiv region for medical evaluation. For families still waiting on news, the releases provided fragments of hope.
Anna Marchenko, the daughter of a missing Ukrainian serviceman, burst into tears when a released POW confirmed seeing her father alive:
“I didn’t see him, but at least it’s some news. It’s like a fresh breath of air… It gives us the opportunity to continue to breathe and live.”
The swap is also significant in that it includes a high number of Ukrainian civilians, making it the largest such exchange involving noncombatants in the course of the war.
War Far From Over
While the prisoner exchange is symbolically powerful, it does not indicate a de-escalation. Combat continues across Ukraine’s 1,000-kilometer front line, with thousands of casualties on both sides. Neither country has shown signs of reducing deep strikes or backing away from territorial goals.
The Bigger Picture: Tactical Moves or Diplomatic Opening?
The Istanbul negotiations and subsequent prisoner exchange represent rare diplomatic coordination. But with both sides still far apart on core demands, including Ukraine’s call for a temporary ceasefire and Russia’s insistence on territorial control, a comprehensive peace remains elusive.
European leaders have accused President Vladimir Putin of dragging out negotiations to gain military ground. Meanwhile, Ukraine continues its push for Western military support and stronger sanctions to pressure Moscow into compromise.
Until a meaningful shift occurs in battlefield dynamics or political will, the war seems destined to continue—marked by sporadic gestures of diplomacy, like prisoner swaps, but overshadowed by continued bloodshed and destruction.
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