Ukraine and Russia exchange hundreds of prisoners, hours after Kyiv attack

Russia and Ukraine conducted another large-scale prisoner exchange on Saturday, May 24, 2025, hours after Kyiv suffered one of the largest missile and drone attacks of the conflict.

The attack, according to online media sources, left at least 15 people injured and caused widespread damage across the capital.

This exchange marked a rare moment of cooperation amid ongoing war and stalled ceasefire negotiations.

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia’s Defense Ministry, each side repatriated 307 military personnel on Saturday.

This followed Friday’s release of 390 combatants and civilians by both countries, forming the first phase of a deal reached earlier in May.

“We expect more to come tomorrow,” Zelenskyy announced on Telegram.

The Russian Defense Ministry echoed that the swap would continue, though it did not provide specifics.

The exchange agreement was brokered in Istanbul, marking the first face-to-face peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Under the deal, each country is to release 1,000 prisoners, including civilians and soldiers.

However, the fragile moment of diplomacy came against the backdrop of a brutal overnight assault on Kyiv.

Residents awoke to the sounds of explosions and anti-aircraft fire, with many forced to take shelter in subway stations.

According to Ukrainian officials, Russia launched 14 ballistic missiles and 250 Shahed drones.

Ukrainian forces responded by shooting down six missiles and disabling 245 drones, 128 destroyed and 117 neutralized through electronic warfare.

The Kyiv City Military Administration described the incident as one of the most intense drone and missile barrages to date.

“A difficult night for all of us,” it said in a statement.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the attack “clear evidence that increased sanctions pressure on Moscow is necessary to accelerate the peace process.”

Katarina Mathernová, the EU’s ambassador to Kyiv, described the bombardment as “horrific,” writing, “If anyone still doubts Russia wants war to continue, read the news.”

Missile and drone debris landed in at least six districts of Kyiv, causing fires and injuries.

Tymur Tkachenko, the acting head of Kyiv’s military administration, said six people required medical attention, with two fires reported in the Solomianskyi district.

The Obolon district was the hardest hit, with a residential building severely damaged and at least five residents wounded.

One local, Yurii Bondarchuk, described the terrifying moment when the air raid sirens sounded.

“Then the drones started to fly around as they constantly do,” he said.

“The balcony is totally wiped out, as well as the windows and the doors.”

He spoke while standing in darkness, smoking to steady his nerves, as firefighters worked to contain the blaze.

Kyiv’s air raid alert lasted over seven hours, with Mayor Vitalii Klitschko warning ahead of time that more than 20 Russian strike drones were heading toward the city.

During the assault, drone wreckage fell on a shopping center and another residential building in Obolon, prompting emergency crews to respond immediately.

Meanwhile, beyond Kyiv, Russian strikes continued.

Thirteen civilians were killed between Friday and early Saturday in attacks on Ukraine’s southern, eastern, and northern regions.

In Odesa, a Russian ballistic missile hit port infrastructure, killing three people, according to Governor Oleh Kiper.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its overnight strikes targeted military infrastructure across Ukraine.

These included missile and drone production facilities, a reconnaissance hub, and anti-aircraft launch systems.

Friday’s prisoner exchange was the largest of the war to date, especially involving Ukrainian civilians.

The exchange reportedly occurred at the Belarus-Ukraine border, with released Russians being transferred to Belarus for medical care, according to Moscow’s Defense Ministry.

A Ukrainian official, speaking anonymously, confirmed the location due to confidentiality restrictions.

Despite the exchanges, the fighting continues along a 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line.

Tens of thousands of troops have been killed, and neither side has shown signs of scaling back their military efforts.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called the swap a “confidence-building measure.”

He also noted both parties agreed in principle to reconvene for further talks.

However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said no date or venue for the next negotiations has been finalized.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow would deliver a draft peace proposal to Ukraine once the prisoner exchange concludes.

He described it as a basis for a “sustainable, long-term, comprehensive” peace agreement.

Yet, significant disagreements remain.

Ukraine, backed by Western allies, insists on a temporary ceasefire as a prerequisite for any peace deal.

Meanwhile, European leaders have accused President Vladimir Putin of prolonging the war in an effort to gain more territory through military force.

Illustrating the scale of ongoing hostilities, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have shot down 788 Ukrainian drones outside the front lines between May 20 and May 23, underlining the continued intensity of the conflict.

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