Russia Steps Up Airstrikes on Ukraine’s Capital After POW Swap

Russia intensified its assaults on Ukraine’s capital, firing drones and missiles in a single day after a seven-hour barrage of Kyiv on Saturday that was some of the sustained within the four-year battle. 

The airstrikes, which spilled over into early Sunday, adopted the second stage of a serious prisoner of battle swap. One other 307 prisoners on both sides have been exchanged close to Ukraine’s northern border with Belarus, Russia’s Protection Ministry mentioned. 

Hours earlier than, Kyiv got here beneath hearth by the primary spherical of the Russian barrage. Explosions have been heard throughout Kyiv and particles from intercepted projectiles fell in a number of districts after Kremlin forces fired drones and missiles, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko mentioned on Telegram.

Social media posts confirmed clouds of smoke above town and broken high-rise condominium buildings. 

The top of Kyiv’s army administration referred to as the air assault the “most huge” the capital has confronted to date within the battle. A minimum of 15 individuals have been injured in Kyiv, Ukrainian International Minister Andrii Sybiha mentioned on X. 

“That is Russia’s response to worldwide peace efforts and clear proof that elevated sanctions strain on Moscow is important to speed up the peace course of,” Sybiha mentioned.

Then shortly after midnight on Sunday, with Ukrainian air defenses armed, explosions erupted once more within the metropolis. Greater than 10 Russian drones have been within the air with extra approaching town, the authorities mentioned on Telegram.

Particles of a Russian drone fell in a four-store residential constructing in considered one of Kyiv districts, authorities mentioned.

Within the first spherical, Russia fired 250 Shahed and different drones and 14 ballistic missiles into Ukraine, the Ukrainian Air Pressure mentioned on Telegram. A lot of the drones have been shot down or jammed and 6 of the missiles have been intercepted. 

Different places focused included Odesa on the Black Beach, Ukraine’s third largest metropolis, in addition to the Vinnytsia, Sumy, Kharkiv, Donetsk and Dnipro areas, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy mentioned on social media. 

Russia’s Protection Ministry mentioned in a readout that its forces focused a Ukrainian enterprise that produces missile weapons and drones, a army reconnaissance middle and the place of a US-made Patriot anti-aircraft missile system. Russia additionally claimed to have seized management of Loknya, a village in Ukraine’s Sumy area close to the nations’ border.

The prisoner swap, agreed between Kyiv and Moscow at a gathering in Istanbul final week, went forward regardless of the airstrikes. 

Friday’s handover concerned 390 individuals swapped from both sides, and the entire ought to attain 1,000 prisoners from every nation. The Russian service members are receiving preliminary help in Belarus and shall be returned to Russia for remedy and rehabilitation. Amongst these returned to Ukraine are troopers from the military, the State Border Service, and the Nationwide Guard, Zelenskiy mentioned. 

Final week’s Istanbul assembly marked the primary direct talks between the opponents in additional than three years, and the prisoner swap is the principle tangible results of the talks. 

Zelenskiy supplied to journey to Turkey for the talks, and challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin to fulfill him there to debate a ceasefire. 

Putin, who by no means indicated he’d personally participate personally within the discussions, despatched a low-level delegation headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky. 

“One week has handed because the Istanbul assembly, and Russia has but to ship its ‘peace memorandum.’ As a substitute, Russia sends lethal drones and missiles at civilians,” Sybiha mentioned.

Individually on Saturday, Russia mentioned it repelled 94 Ukrainian drones in a single day throughout a number of areas of central Russia.

The town of Yelets in Russia’s Lipetsk area was focused for the second day, together with in an industrial space, the native governor mentioned. Ukraine on Friday mentioned its hit manufacturing services of an organization in Yelets that makes batteries used to energy Russian missiles. 

With help from Michael Heath.

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