Russia-Ukraine Prisoner Swap Amidst Massive Attack

Russia and Ukraine completed the third and final part of a major prisoner exchange, swapping hundreds of soldiers and civilians. This rare moment of cooperation occurred just hours after Russia launched its largest aerial attack on Ukraine since February 2022, using 367 drones and missiles. The assault killed at least 12 people and injured dozens across more than 30 cities and villages, including Ukraine — Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Khmelnytskyi. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attacks as deliberate strikes on ordinary cities and urged Western partners, including the United States and Europe, to ramp up sanctions on Russia. Despite the prisoner swaps, fighting continues along the front lines, with Russia's Defense Ministry reporting that its forces have pushed back Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region and advanced in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions. Russian President Vladimir Putin was reportedly in the Kursk region during a Ukrainian drone attack, highlighting the persistent intensity of the conflict.