It was one of the most terrifying nights in Ukraine in recent months. Explosions echoed through Kyiv and several other cities as Russia launched a massive aerial assault, killing at least 13 people and injuring dozens more.
In Kyiv alone, residents woke to the sound of drones and missiles overhead. The Ukrainian air force said 250 drones and 14 ballistic missiles were launched at the capital in the overnight barrage. Fires broke out in apartment buildings, and at least 14 people were wounded in the city.
“With every strike, the world sees more clearly that the responsibility for this ongoing war lies with Moscow,” President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on social media platform X.
Zelensky described the night as “difficult” — full of fear, smoke, and devastation. Entire families were forced to flee their homes. In one heartbreaking account, 64-year-old Kyiv resident Olha Chyrukha tearfully told reporters: “I wish they’d agree to a ceasefire. To bomb people like this—poor children. My three-year-old granddaughter was screaming in fear.”
Tragically, four people died in the eastern Donetsk region, five more in the southern regions of Odesa and Kherson, and another four in the northeastern city of Kharkiv. Many were caught in their homes or near the wreckage of collapsed buildings.
Military officials say the attacks show Russia is refining its tactics—using swarms of drones followed closely by missiles to outsmart Ukraine’s defenses. “The enemy is evolving,” said Kyiv’s military chief Timur Tkachenko.
Despite the pain, hope flickered through the darkness. A long-awaited prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine finally took place. Over the weekend, 307 Ukrainian captives were released and returned home, following a larger exchange on Friday where both countries swapped 390 prisoners each — the biggest such deal since the war began in 2022.
More exchanges are expected soon, with each side agreeing to release up to 1,000 prisoners.
Meanwhile, international voices continue to weigh in. Former U.S. President Donald Trump hinted that the recent prisoner swaps might be a sign of bigger negotiations to come. He claimed he had a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and said talks for a ceasefire could “start immediately”—although no such move has yet been confirmed by the Kremlin.
Back on the ground, Ukrainians are left picking up the pieces—physically and emotionally. In one photo, a man stands silently outside his shattered apartment building, clutching his dog. The rubble around him says it all.
For now, the promise of peace still feels painfully out of reach.
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