Russia has carried out its most extensive aerial attack over a two-day period since the start of its full-scale invasion, striking Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with hundreds of drones, Ukrainian officials said.
Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine swapped 205 prisoners of war each on Friday (15 May), Russia’s RIA state news agency reported.
Moscow said earlier this month it had agreed to carry out a prisoner exchange with Kyiv as part of a three-day ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump.
According to RIA, Russia handed more than 526 bodies of soldiers to Ukraine and received 41.
Since Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched 1,567 drones. Officials reported at least 15 civilian deaths over the two days.
According to the Ukrainian air force, more than 670 attack drones and 56 missiles were fired overnight alone. Air defence units reportedly intercepted 41 missiles and 652 drones.
Zelenskyy said the scale of the assault showed it was “definitely not the actions of those who believe the war is coming to an end”, urging Ukraine’s partners not to stay silent and to continue strengthening air defences.
Kyiv among the hardest hit
Kyiv was the primary target of the overnight strikes, with Zelenskyy saying damage was recorded at around 20 locations across the capital and surrounding region.
At least nine people, including a 12-year-old girl, were killed in the capital, while six others died in a daytime strike in western Ukraine the previous day, officials said.
About 40 people, including two children, were injured, officials said. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko declared a day of mourning for Friday (15 May).
Emergency crews worked through the night at the site of a destroyed nine-storey residential building, where an entire section collapsed after a drone strike. Nearly 20 people were still reported missing as rescue operations continued.
Widespread damage across the country
Authorities said more than 1,500 rescue workers had been deployed nationwide, including around 600 in Kyiv.
Zelenskyy stated that approximately 180 facilities had been damaged across Ukraine, including more than 50 residential buildings.
He also reported that a vehicle belonging to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs came under fire during a mission in the southern city of Kherson.
In Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, 28 people, including three children, were injured as civilian infrastructure was hit.
Ukraine’s Energy Ministry said power outages had been recorded in 11 regions. Port facilities in Odesa and sections of the railway network were also targeted, officials added.
“>
Reuters
“>
Reuters
“>
Reuters