Twelve people, including three children, lost their lives overnight as Russian forces unleashed a wave of air strikes across Ukraine, pushing the toll of destruction higher despite a rare moment of diplomacy marked by a major prisoner exchange.
The strikes, described by Ukraine’s emergency services as a “night of terror,” targeted several regions including Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Khmelnytskyi, and Mykolaiv. Among the victims were children aged eight, 12, and a 17-year-old, according to local officials. Four people were killed in the Kyiv region alone, while another four died in Khmelnytskyi.
The deadly barrage came just hours after Ukraine and Russia completed their largest prisoner swap since the full-scale war began in February 2022—an exchange of 1,000 people from each side, carried out over three days and facilitated through talks in Istanbul.
Despite that diplomatic gesture, the violence on the ground continued. Ukrainian forces reported intercepting 45 Russian missiles and 266 drones, while Russia claimed to have shot down 110 Ukrainian drones in return. In the aftermath, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took to social media, condemning what he called ongoing brutality and calling for stronger global action to hold Russia accountable.
“The silence of America, the silence of others around the world only encourages Putin,” Zelensky warned. He added that sanctions and international pressure remain crucial in stopping further bloodshed.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, also weighed in, calling for heightened pressure on Moscow. “It’s devastating to see children among the victims. Russia is clearly intent on causing more suffering,” she said.
Meanwhile, the return of Ukrainian captives stirred strong emotions. In Chernihiv, newly freed soldiers were welcomed back with applause and tears. “It’s simply crazy. Crazy feelings,” said 31-year-old soldier Konstantin Steblev, reunited with his homeland after three years in captivity.
Another former prisoner, 58-year-old Viktor Syvak, held since the siege of Mariupol, was overwhelmed. “It’s impossible to describe,” he said. “It’s very joyful.”
Russia has indicated it will present peace terms to Ukraine following the exchange, though details remain unclear. Former US President Donald Trump praised the prisoner deal as a potential breakthrough, though past efforts to mediate have yielded little.
For now, the sounds of diplomacy remain faint against the roar of missiles overhead.
