Ukrainian overseas minister describes air assaults on third day of prisoner swap as greatest in weeks.
Russia has focused Ukraine for a second consecutive night time with drones and missiles, killing not less than 12 individuals as the 2 international locations pursue a serious prisoner swap.
Ukraine’s air drive mentioned on Sunday that Russian forces attacked Ukrainian areas with 298 drones and 69 missiles in a single day, one of many largest aerial assaults of the warfare.
“Most areas of Ukraine had been affected by the hostile assault. Enemy air strikes had been recorded in 22 areas, and downed cruise missiles and assault UAVs (drones) fell in 15 areas,” the air drive mentioned on Telegram.
Ukraine’s safety service reported that not less than 4 individuals had been killed and 16 had been injured within the capital, Kyiv.
The nation’s emergency service reported that three kids – aged eight, 12 and 17 – had been killed within the area of Zhytomyr, whereas one other particular person was killed within the southern metropolis of Mykolaiv.
4 others had been killed in assaults throughout the Khmelnytskyi area, Sergiy Tyurin, the deputy head of the regional navy administration, mentioned in a publish on Telegram, including that civilian infrastructure had been destroyed.
Ukrainian Overseas Minister Andrii Sybiha mentioned it had been a “tough Sunday morning in Ukraine after a sleepless night time” following “probably the most large Russian air assault in lots of weeks”.
A tough Sunday morning in Ukraine after a sleepless night time. Essentially the most large Russian air assault in lots of weeks lasted all night time.
Russia launched lots of of drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles into Ukrainian cities and communities throughout the night time, injuring and… pic.twitter.com/FcawH6DJD4
— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) Might 25, 2025
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported on Telegram that “greater than a dozen enemy drones” had been within the airspace across the capital.
He reported harm to a scholar dormitory in Holosiivskyi district, a home in Dniprovskyi district and a residential constructing in Shevchenkivskyi district.
In the meantime, Russia’s Ministry of Defence mentioned its forces shot down 110 Ukrainian drones in a single day.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin mentioned 12 drones flying in the direction of the Russian capital had been intercepted.
Restrictions had been imposed on not less than 4 airports, together with the primary hub Sheremetyevo, the Russian civilian aviation authority, Rosaviatsiya, mentioned.
Main prisoner swap
The 2 sides traded fireplace as they engaged of their greatest prisoner swap since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Kyiv and Moscow agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners of warfare and civilian detainees every in talks held in Istanbul, Turkiye, earlier this month – the primary time the 2 sides had met nose to nose for peace talks.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia’s Defence Ministry mentioned all sides introduced residence 307 extra troopers on Saturday, a day after every launched a complete of 390 servicemen and civilians.
Zelenskyy mentioned on his official Telegram channel that additional releases are anticipated on Sunday.
The Russian Defence Ministry additionally mentioned it anticipated the alternate to proceed.
The renewed assaults adopted an enormous wave of assaults the day prior to this, with Ukraine reporting on Saturday that Russia had hit it with 250 drones and 14 ballistic missiles, whereas Russia mentioned it was attacked by not less than 100 Ukrainian drones.
