ReutersAt the very least 14 folks have been injured in a serious Russian missile and drone assault on Kyiv, metropolis authorities say.
Russia launched 250 drones and 14 ballistic missiles in opposition to Kyiv, Ukraine’s air drive stated, inflicting fires in residential buildings.
It was one of many largest mixed aerial assaults on town for the reason that struggle started.
The air drive stated it had downed six missiles and 245 drones.
“With every such assault, the world turns into extra sure that the reason for prolonging the struggle lies in Moscow,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on X.
The barrage got here hours after Russia and Ukraine took half in a prisoner swap agreed after talks between the 2 international locations’ officers in Turkey.
Describing a “troublesome night time”, Zelensky stated there had been fires and explosions throughout Kyiv with properties, companies and vehicles broken by strikes or falling particles.
Olha Chyrukha, a 64-year-old native resident who lives simply exterior central Kyiv, instructed Reuters information company: “I want they’d comply with a ceasefire. To bomb folks like this – poor youngsters. My three-year-old granddaughter was screaming scared.”
Commenting on the mixed use of aerial weapons, Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s navy administration, stated: “The enemy is enhancing its personal techniques of utilizing drones, whereas concurrently placing with ballistics.”
Zelensky stated solely “extra sanctions concentrating on key sectors of the Russian financial system” might push Moscow to comply with a ceasefire.
Final week, Russia stated Ukraine had launched a whole lot of exploding drones on the nation, together with strikes over Moscow. The Russia’s Ministry of Defence stated that 485 drones had been shot down.
On Friday, Ukraine and Russia every handed over 390 troopers and civilians within the largest prisoner change for the reason that Kremlin launched its full-scale assault in February 2022.
Each international locations have every agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners.
US President Donald Trump, who has pledged however to this point failed to finish the struggle, urged on social media that the swap “might result in one thing large???”.
Earlier this week, Trump had a cellphone name with Russian President Vladimir Putin concerning the struggle, after which he stated the Kremlin and Ukraine would “instantly begin” negotiations for a ceasefire.
Nevertheless, Putin has solely stated Russia would work with Ukraine to craft a “memorandum on a potential future peace settlement”, and failed to handle requires a 30-day ceasefire.
