War in Ukraine: greatest prisoner exchange and violent attacks on Ukraine

Russia has completed the greatest prisoner exchange since the beginning of the war, each with 1,000 released. At the same time, Moscow passed the Ukraine with the worst air strikes so far. According to the authorities, at least twelve people died in the attacks with almost 300 drones, around 70 rockets and marching aircraft, and dozens of others were injured. The Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj accused Russia of terror and called for more pressure on Moscow from the West.

Russian President Vladimir Putin continues killing daily in his war, said Selenskyj. “This must not be ignored. The silence of America and the silence of other countries in the world only encourage Putin,” said the Ukrainian. “This brutality cannot be stopped without really strong pressure on Russian leadership. Sanctions will certainly help.”

It is deliberate strikes against simple cities, said Selenskyj. Houses were destroyed and damaged. He said that rescue workers were deployed in more than 30 cities and villages in the country. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported hundreds of Ukrainian drone attacks on the weekend.

Many dead and injured in Ukraine

In the Ukrainian region of Schytomyr west of the capital Kiev, two children aged eight and twelve died and a young person aged 17, as the civil protection said. At least twelve people were injured there alone. According to the authorities, at least 4 people died in the Kiev area, according to the authorities, 16 others were injured. Severe devastation and destroyed and burning houses in towns were seen on pictures and videos that the civil protection spread.

The authorities in the Chmelnyzkyj region reported four dead and five injuries in the west of the country. In the city of Mykolajiw in the south, a drone had hit a five -storey house. A person was killed. Five residents were injured, including a teenager, the city said.

Moscow had justified the strong attacks on Saturday with the Ukrainian drone attacks against Russian territory in the past few days. The military leadership in Moscow said that the Russian air strikes had directed against military objects. The goals were armaments companies that manufactured rockets, explosive devices, fuel and drones for the Ukrainian armed forces. “All certain objects were hit,” said the Ministry of Defense in Moscow. As always, there was no information about the damage in the military area from Ukraine.

303 prisoners exchanged at the last stage

A ray of hope for Ukraine was the release of 1,000 people from Russian captivity, stretched over three days since Friday. Both sides handed over 303 prisoners again on Sunday. Some have been captured since 2022.

Photos and videos showed the released full of joy. Many of them seemed emaciated, some had bald heads. The men who wore Ukrainian flags as accessible and their women hugged themselves and their women, some were shown on calls with their relatives. Many broke out of happiness and relief in tears when they heard the familiar voices.

Selenskyj wants to get all prisoners back

Soldiers, members of the National Guard and the border protection are among the released people, said Selenskyj. Now all other prisoners would have to be released. “Of course this is not an easy task, but it has to be fulfilled,” said the president.

The most recent exchange was agreed on May 16 during talks in Istanbul. He remained the only concrete result of the first direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations since 2022, to which US President Donald Trump had been urged.

Russia announces Memorandum on conflict resolution

Russia has received a total of 880 soldiers and 120 civilians, said Russian Vice Defense Minister Alexander Fomin. “We count that the extensive exchange of prisoners carried out on the initiative will contribute to creating a favorable atmosphere for the discussion of the conditions for a peaceful settlement of the crisis in Ukraine,” he said.

It is still unclear whether and if so, when and where the next direct negotiations on a ceasefire and an end to the war take place. Russia had recently announced several times to present a declaration of intent to solve the conflict after the conclusion of the prisoner exchange. Meanwhile, Selenskyj is ready for a diplomatic solution. At the same time, he rejects a withdrawal of the Ukrainian troops from Moscow from the fields of Saporischschja, Cherson, Luhansk and Donetsk. Russia already sees these regions as its territory.