India
Russia launched an unprecedented wave of drone strikes across Ukraine over the weekend, killing at least 12 people—including three children—and wounding dozens more. Ukrainian officials described the attacks as a “night of terror,” with Kyiv and surrounding regions enduring their second consecutive night of mass air raids.
According to Ukraine’s emergency services, the latest round of strikes represented the largest drone assault since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Ukrainian forces reported shooting down 45 Russian missiles and 266 drones, while Russian forces reportedly launched as many as 298 drones overnight.
Among the dead were Roman (8), Tamara (12), and Stanislav (17), schoolchildren from the northwestern Zhytomyr region. Their school memorialized them in a heartfelt social media post: “Their memory will always be with us. We will never forgive.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky lashed out at the international community for its inaction. “Without truly strong pressure on the Russian leadership, this brutality cannot be stopped,” he posted online. “The silence of America and others only encourages Putin. Sanctions will certainly help.”
The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, also condemned the attacks, saying they proved Russia’s intent to cause “more suffering and annihilation of Ukraine.”
Despite the violence, the two nations completed their largest prisoner exchange of the war, with 1,000 captives traded on each side. Over three days, Russia and Ukraine exchanged soldiers and civilians in phases—390 on Friday, 307 on Saturday, and 303 on Sunday.
Among the returnees was 31-year-old Ukrainian soldier Konstantin Steblev, who had spent three years in captivity. “It’s simply crazy—crazy feelings,” he said, smiling and waving as he stepped onto home soil. Viktor Syvak, 58, captured in Mariupol and held for 37 months, added, “It’s impossible to describe. Very joyful.”
Meanwhile, Russia claimed its strikes targeted Ukraine’s military-industrial infrastructure and reported downing 110 Ukrainian drones. In Moscow, drone-related disruptions forced temporary airport closures, though no casualties were reported.
Despite calls for peace, many Ukrainians remain skeptical. “We don’t need talks, but weapons—lots of them,” said 64-year-old Oleskandr, a survivor from the Kyiv region. “Russia understands only force, nothing else.”
Former U.S. President Donald Trump praised the prisoner swap on Truth Social, suggesting, “This could lead to something big,” though his ceasefire proposals have yet to gain traction.
As the war grinds on, with deadlier and more complex strikes from both sides, Ukraine faces another night under fire—its skies lit by drones, its people bracing for what may come next
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