Russia and Ukraine on Saturday exchanged 307 prisoners every beneath an settlement reached throughout current talks in Istanbul, stated the Russian Defence Ministry.
The ministry stated 307 Russian servicemen have “returned from Kyiv-controlled territory,” whereas the equal variety of Ukrainian prisoners was freed as properly.
“The big-scale trade initiated by the Russian aspect will proceed,” the ministry stated.
The swap adopted the trade of 270 servicemen and 120 civilians from all sides introduced on Friday.
Following their direct negotiations in Istanbul final week, Russia and Ukraine agreed to trade 1,000 prisoners on all sides, marking the most important prisoner swap because the begin of their battle in 2022.
In the meantime, the Russian forces fired a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones on the Ukrainian capital early Saturday, leaving no less than 15 folks injured, the Kyiv metropolis navy administration stated in a press release, Xinhua information company reported. The assault, one of many largest air assaults on Kyiv because the begin of the battle, brought on harm to residential and non-residential infrastructure in six of the town’s 10 districts, the assertion stated.
Kyiv police reported {that a} shopping center, a number of condominium buildings and an academic facility had been among the many broken websites. The Ukrainian Air Power stated Russia deployed 14 Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles and 250 drones within the in a single day assault on Ukraine, and Kiev was the first goal. The air defence intercepted six missiles and 245 drones.
The strike adopted Russia’s assault on port infrastructure in Ukraine’s southern metropolis of Odesa with two ballistic missiles on Friday, killing three folks and injuring six others, in response to Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiper.
After the assault, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky referred to as on the US, Europe and different international locations to impose new sanctions on Russia. “Solely further sanctions focusing on key sectors of the Russian financial system will pressure Moscow to stop hearth,” Zelensky stated on social platform X.