Russia launched its largest aerial bombardment since the war began, killing at least 12 people, including children, even as it completed a major prisoner swap with Ukraine.
Russia launched its most extensive aerial assault of the war overnight into Sunday, striking 22 regions across Ukraine with 367 attack weapons, including 69 missiles and 298 drones, officials said. At least 12 people, including children, were killed.
The attack came just hours after Russia and Ukraine completed a major prisoner exchange, swapping 303 servicemen each as part of a 1,000-for-1,000 agreement brokered in Istanbul. “Grateful to the team that worked around the clock,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Ukraine’s Air Force said it intercepted 47 missiles and 266 drones. In Kyiv, air raid sirens blared for hours as civilians sheltered from a second consecutive night of strikes.
“This brutality cannot be stopped without really strong pressure on the Russian leadership,” Zelensky warned, urging new sanctions.
Russia’s defense ministry said it also downed 100 Ukrainian drones on Sunday.
The assault follows mounting pressure on President Putin to accept a ceasefire, which Moscow appears to be resisting through escalated attacks.