Kyiv Under Siege: Russia Launches Fresh Wave of Attacks Amid Ongoing Prisoner Swap
Russia has initiated a second consecutive night filled with massive drone and ballistic missile strikes targeting Ukraine, with Kyiv once more at the core of the heavy bombardment. Reports from early Sunday indicate that nine individuals, including three children, have perished nationwide, with numerous others suffering injuries.
This wave of air raids coincides with a significant exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine that took place on Saturday, marking a rare moment of cooperation amidst ongoing hostilities rife with failed attempts to achieve a ceasefire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy articulated that the intensified attacks are indicative of Moscow’s intent to prolong the conflict and reiterated his call for increased sanctions against Russia. Nevertheless, he expressed hope that officials would continue with the planned prisoner swap, which had been previously negotiated during talks in Istanbul.
Russian strikes have been reported across the breadth of Ukraine, with casualties noted in several regions. In the western Khmelnytskyi region, four fatalities were recorded, alongside four more deaths in the Kyiv area and one in Mykolaiv in the south. Sergiy Tyurin, the deputy head of the regional military administration, conveyed through a Telegram post that the Khmelnytskyi region suffered from hostile Russian fire, leading to the destruction of civilian infrastructure. Emergency services later confirmed that four people died and 16 others were injured due to the attack in Kyiv, which notably included three children.
The escalating intensity and frequency of these weekend strikes challenge the assertions made by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin is keen on achieving peace. As of this writing, Trump has yet to comment on the ongoing heavy bombardments. Kyiv's Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that at least 10 individuals were injured in the capital, including damage to a student dormitory in the Holosiivskyi district that was struck by a drone.
As residents of Kyiv prepared to celebrate Kyiv Day—an event held on the last Sunday in May—many found themselves once again seeking refuge in bunkers, metro stations, and basements due to the unrest. Regions including Odesa, Dnipro, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Konotop, Chernihiv, Ternopil, and Kharkiv have also reported attacks as the situation continues to deteriorate.
The assault on Kyiv commenced with a stern warning from Tymur Tkachenko, the head of the city’s military administration, who urged residents to remain vigilant through the night as they tracked waves of missile launches via air raid warning apps. At one point, Tkachenko indicated that more than a dozen enemy drones were in flight over the capital. While some drones in Kyiv and the surrounding areas were neutralized by air defense, new threats continued to emerge.
In the backdrop of all this, Russian authorities reported downing several drones heading toward Moscow, illustrating the broader implications of the conflict as it spirals into another chapter of destruction and despair. As both nations engage in their largest prisoner exchange since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the contrast between cooperation on this front and the ongoing violence paints a stark picture of the complexities of the current geopolitical landscape.
Related Sources: