Russia, Ukraine complete record prisoner swap: Moscow
Russia says it has exchanged another 303 Ukrainian prisoners of war for the same number of Russian soldiers held by Kyiv, however the missiles and drones continue to cost lives.
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Russia says it has exchanged another 303 Ukrainian prisoners of war for the same number of Russian soldiers held by Kyiv.
The move is the last phase of the largest-ever such swap between the warring countries.
“In accordance with the Russian-Ukrainian agreements reached in Istanbul on May 16, the Russian and Ukrainian sides have (over the weekend) carried out the exchange of 1000 people for 1000 people,” Russia’s defence ministry said, amid international pressure for a ceasefire.
The swap came just hours after Russian strikes killed at least 12 people in Ukraine overnight into Sunday, officials said, as Kyiv and Moscow traded fire.
Ukraine’s emergency services described a night of “terror” as Russia launched a second straight night of major air strikes on Ukraine, including on the capital Kyiv, after pummelling the country with ballistic missiles and drones the previous night.
The latest fire came as the two sides pursued their biggest prisoner swap since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, and as the United States tries to broker a ceasefire to halt the three-year-old war.
The death toll from the latest Russian strikes included three children ages eight, 12 and 17, killed in the northwestern region of Zhytomyr, officials said.
Ukraine’s military said early Sunday it had shot down 45 Russian missiles and 266 attack drones overnight.
Four people were also reported dead in the western Khmelnytskyi region, four in the Kyiv region and one in Mykolaiv in the south.
Emergency services said four people were killed and 16 injured in the Kyiv region, including three children, in the “massive night attack”.
Explosions were heard in Kyiv, with Tymur Tkachenko, with the head of the city’s military administration, warning “the night will not be easy”.
The capital was “under attack” but “air defences are operating”, said Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Russian authorities meanwhile reported that a dozen drones flying towards Moscow had been downed.
In Moscow, restrictions were imposed on at least four airports, including the main hub Sheremetyevo, the Russian civilian aviation authority said.
The renewed attacks came after Russia launched 14 ballistic missiles and 250 drones overnight Friday to Saturday, which left 15 wounded, according to Ukrainian officials.
The Russian military said on Saturday that Ukraine had targeted it with 788 drones and missiles since Tuesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia’s attacks indicated Moscow was “prolonging the war” and repeated his call for ramped-up sanctions.
On Saturday, 307 Russian prisoners of war were exchanged for the same number of Ukrainian soldiers, according to announcements in Kyiv and Moscow.
Both sides received 390 people in the first stage on Friday. Russia has signalled it will send Ukraine its terms for a peace settlement after the exchange, without saying what those terms would be.
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Originally published as Russia, Ukraine complete record prisoner swap: Moscow
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