Russia Launches Largest Aerial Attack on Ukraine, 13 Dead Amid Ongoing Prisoner Swap
In the deadliest airstrike since the war began, Russia launched a record-breaking assault of 367 drones and missiles across Ukrainian cities overnight, killing 13 people—including three children—and injuring dozens more. Ukrainian authorities described the attack as the largest aerial offensive of the conflict.
The strike targeted major population centers including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Ternopil, and Khmelnytskyi, causing extensive damage to residential buildings and critical infrastructure. Ukraine’s air defense systems intercepted 266 drones and 45 missiles, but were unable to prevent significant civilian casualties.
The attack coincided with a major prisoner exchange between the two warring nations, with each side reportedly releasing 1,000 detainees.
In Zhytomyr, three children were among those killed when missile fragments struck residential buildings. Khmelnytskyi reported four fatalities, while Kyiv saw 11 people injured from falling debris and shockwaves. In Mykolaiv, a drone hit an apartment complex, killing a 77-year-old man and wounding five others.
“The scale and coordination of this attack was unlike anything we’ve seen in this war,” said a senior Ukrainian defense official. Local emergency services battled flames and conducted rescue operations through the night.
Footage from affected cities showed gutted buildings, burning vehicles, and citizens being evacuated in the dark under sirens.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the muted global response—particularly from the United States under President Donald Trump.
“The silence of America, the silence of others in the world only encourages Putin,” Zelenskiy said on Telegram. His chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, added, “Every such terrorist Russian strike is reason enough for new sanctions against Russia.”
Ukrainian officials are calling for a renewed push from Western allies to impose harsher economic and military sanctions on Moscow.
Russia, meanwhile, claimed it had downed 95 Ukrainian drones in a retaliatory defense operation, including 12 near Moscow. The Kremlin said the attacks were aimed at disabling its military installations and urban centers.
Despite the violence, both sides continued diplomatic efforts. The prisoner exchange—one of the largest in recent months—is seen as a small step toward de-escalation. Ukraine has proposed a 30-day ceasefire to facilitate peace talks.
This latest escalation follows a week of intensifying strikes. Just days ago, Kyiv was targeted with a wave of drones and ballistic missiles. Analysts warn that such large-scale offensives could become more frequent as Russia increases domestic weapons production and Ukraine braces for a long war.
The United Nations and European Union have condemned the attack and called for restraint, but with little concrete movement on new resolutions.
