### Major Combined Drone and Missile Attack Hits Kyiv Amid Prisoner Swap

KYIV – Late Friday, Ukraine's capital faced a massive assault involving drones and missiles, resulting in a night filled with explosions and machine gun fire. Kyiv residents sought safety in underground subway stations as the city came under attack. The assault continued into the early hours of Saturday.

This nighttime offensive came shortly after a significant prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine. The two countries swapped hundreds of soldiers and civilians, marking the first phase of an agreement reached in Istanbul last week. This exchange is a rare moment of cooperation amid the otherwise unsuccessful attempts to achieve a ceasefire in the conflict that has dragged on for three years.

According to Tymur Tkachenko, acting head of Kyiv's military administration, the wreckage of intercepted missiles and drones landed in at least four city districts. Six individuals required medical attention following the attack, which also ignited two fires in Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district. City Mayor Vitali Klitschko had earlier alerted residents that more than 20 Russian strike drones were heading toward the city.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that the first phase of the prisoner swap resulted in the return of 390 Ukrainians, including both soldiers and civilians. Further exchanges expected over the weekend could make this the largest prisoner swap of the conflict. Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed that it had received an equivalent number of its personnel from Ukraine.

"It's very important to bring everyone home," Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram, expressing gratitude to those involved in securing the release of the prisoners and pledging continued diplomatic efforts for future exchanges. When buses carrying the freed captives arrived at a medical facility in Ukraine’s Chernihiv region, dozens of relatives cheered and chanted "Thank you!" The released men, wrapped in Ukrainian flags, were greeted with emotional reunions.

At their recent meeting in Istanbul, Kyiv and Moscow agreed to the exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side. While this two-hour meeting did not achieve any significant breakthroughs in the broader U.S.-led peace efforts, it did mark the first face-to-face talks since the early weeks of Russia's 2022 invasion.