Kyiv Mourns 24 Civilian Deaths as Ukraine, Russia Execute Prisoner Exchange Deal
A missile strike on a nine-storey apartment block in Kyiv has claimed the lives of 24 civilians, including three young girls aged 12 and 15. The search operation concluded, with residents and soldiers witnessing the 28-hour effort to locate missing relatives.
President Zelensky stated that a Russian X-101 cruise missile, reportedly manufactured in recent weeks, caused the extensive damage. He further alleged that Russia continues to import necessary components for missile production, circumventing global sanctions.
Among the victims identified were 12-year-old Lyubava Yakovleva, whose father also perished in the conflict, and her elder sister. Other casualties included two postal service employees, a former hockey player, an English teacher, and a kindergarten teacher.
Concurrently, Ukraine and Russia completed a prisoner exchange, with 205 Ukrainian personnel, many held since 2022, being returned. This exchange, part of a US and UAE-brokered agreement, occurred shortly after a short-lived ceasefire ended, leading to renewed Russian aerial bombardments across Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Russian officials reported four fatalities, including a child, in Ryazan, south-east of Moscow, attributed to Ukrainian drone attacks. These strikes reportedly targeted an oil refinery, with debris damaging two residential buildings and injuring 28 people.
The prisoner swap represents the first phase of a larger agreement to exchange 1,000 prisoners on each side. The initial truce, intended from 9-11 May, was quickly followed by Russia's largest drone onslaught since the war's commencement, with Ukrainian officials reporting 1,410 Russian drones and 56 missiles launched within a 24-hour period.
