A wave of drone and missile strikes struck Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, early Saturday, injuring at least eight people amid an ongoing massive prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine.
Tymur Tkachenko, who leads Kyiv’s civil-military administration, confirmed incidents of fire and falling debris across several neighbourhoods. Loud explosions were reported by AFP journalists during the night.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko noted via Telegram that, “The capital and the region are again under massive enemy attack.
Air defence systems are continuously operating in Kyiv and its suburbs.” Two of the wounded victims were taken to the hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile, Russia’s defence ministry claimed Ukraine had launched 788 aerial attacks since Tuesday, including missiles and drones, 776 of which were intercepted.
The strikes occurred just as the two nations entered the first phase of a significant prisoner handover, expected to be the largest since the conflict erupted in 2022.
According to both governments, 390 individuals were exchanged on Friday, with each side anticipating a total of 1,000 returns over a three-day process.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced, “The first stage of the ‘1,000-for-1,000’ exchange agreement has been carried out. Today — 390 people. On Saturday and Sunday, we expect the exchange to continue.”
Among the freed Ukrainians, a visibly emotional scene unfolded in the Chernihiv region as families welcomed their loved ones.
“It’s very vivid. I didn’t expect such a welcome… I can’t put it into words,” said 58-year-old Viktor Syvak, who had been imprisoned for over three years after being captured in Mariupol.
Russia confirmed receiving 270 soldiers and 120 civilians, including individuals held in parts of the Kursk region occupied by Ukrainian forces. The names of those swapped have not been released publicly.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump reacted to the development, saying on Truth Social, “This could lead to something big???” Though his efforts to mediate the war have yet to yield results, he continues pushing for a ceasefire.
The swap has raised hopes for many. “We have been looking for our son for two years,” said Liudmyla Parkhomenko, whose son disappeared in Bakhmut. “Today I would like the Lord to send us good news… We feel in our hearts that he’s alive.”
A Ukrainian official noted that exchanges often yield unexpected reunions. “Almost every exchange includes people no one had knowledge about,” he told AFP.
“Sometimes they return people who were on the lists of missing persons or were considered dead.”
Although diplomacy is intensifying, Russia has yet to soften its terms, and the war rages on after 39 months of brutal fighting and countless lives lost.