Russian strikes killed no less than 12 individuals in Ukraine in a single day into Sunday, casting a shadow over a serious prisoner swap between Kyiv and Moscow meant to sign uncommon cooperation amid ongoing clashes.
Ukraine’s emergency companies described an evening of “terror” as Russia launched a second straight evening of large air strikes on Ukraine, together with on the capital Kyiv.
The assaults got here as the 2 sides pursued their largest prisoner swap since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022 and because the United States tries to dealer a cease-fire to halt the three-year-old conflict.
The dying toll from the newest Russian strikes included two kids, aged 8 and 12, and a 17-year-old, killed within the northwestern area of Zhytomyr, officers stated.
“Without truly strong pressure on the Russian leadership, this brutality cannot be stopped,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on social media.
“Sanctions will certainly help,” he stated, calling on the United States, European international locations and “all those around the world who seek peace” to point out their “determination” to make Moscow halt the conflict.
Ukraine’s army stated early Sunday it had shot down 45 Russian missiles and 266 assault drones in a single day.
Russian, in the meantime, stated it had introduced down 110 Ukrainian drones in a single day.
Four individuals had been reported lifeless in Ukraine’s western Khmelnytskyi area, 4 within the Kyiv area and one in Mykolaiv within the south.
Emergency companies stated 16 individuals had been additionally injured within the Kyiv area, together with three kids, within the “massive night attack.”
“We saw the whole street was on fire,” a 65-year-old retired girl, Tetiana Iankovska, instructed AFP in Makhalivka village simply southwest of Kyiv.
Another retiree who survived the strikes, Oleskandr, 64, stated he had no religion in talks round a cease-fire.
“We don’t need talks, but weapons, a lot of weapons to stop them (the Russians). Because Russia understands only force, nothing else,” he stated.
Major prisoner trade
The renewed assaults got here after Russia launched 14 ballistic missiles and 250 drones in a single day Friday to Saturday, which wounded 15, in line with Ukrainian officers.
Zelenskyy stated that, even with the ramped-up hostilities, he anticipated the prisoner swap agreed throughout talks in Istanbul on May 16 to proceed.
On Saturday, 307 Russian prisoners of conflict had been exchanged for a similar variety of Ukrainian troopers, in line with bulletins in Kyiv and Moscow.
Both sides obtained 390 individuals within the first stage Friday.
They are anticipated to trade 1,000 every in complete.
Russia has signaled it should ship Ukraine its phrases for a peace settlement after the trade, with out saying what these phrases can be.
The two enemies have held common prisoner swaps, however this could be the biggest up to now, if accomplished.
An AFP reporter noticed a few of the previously captive Ukrainian troopers arrive at a hospital within the northern Chernigiv area, emaciated however smiling and waving to crowds ready exterior.
“It’s simply crazy. Crazy feelings,” 31-year-old Konstantin Steblev, a soldier, instructed AFP Friday as he stepped again onto Ukrainian soil after three years in captivity.
Diplomatic push
US President Donald Trump on Friday congratulated the 2 international locations for the swap.
“This could lead to something big?” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Trump’s efforts to dealer a cease-fire in Europe’s largest battle since World War II have up to now been unsuccessful, regardless of his pledge to quickly finish the preventing.
One of the troopers previously held captive, 58-year-old Viktor Syvak, instructed AFP it was exhausting to precise his emotional homecoming.
Captured within the Ukrainian port metropolis of Mariupol, he had been held for 37 months and 12 days.
“It’s impossible to describe. I can’t put it into words. It’s very joyful,” he stated.
After greater than three years of preventing, each international locations are holding 1000’s of POWs.
Russia is believed to have the bigger share, with the variety of Ukrainian captives estimated to be between 8,000 and 10,000.
Source: www.dailysabah.com