Moscow and Kyiv carry out prisoner swap - Twelve mortalities stem from Russian assaults - Ukraine and Russia reach prisoner swap agreement.
Ukraine and Russia Agree on Prisoner Exchange After Three-Year Standstill in Direct Talks
A long-awaited prisoner exchange took place on Saturday, marking the only tangible outcome from the first direct Russian-Ukrainian meetings in Istanbul on May 16. Both sides initially exchanged 390 prisoners each on Friday, following up with the release of an additional 307 prisoners each on Saturday. Many of the Ukrainian returnees appeared emaciated, exhausted, and elated as they were reunited with their families.
Despite the exchange, Russian attacks on Ukraine resumed with undiminished intensity over the weekend, leaving twelve fatalities across several regions. According to the Ukrainian air force, the Russian army launched 69 missiles and 298 combat drones in overnight attacks on Sunday. The air defenses managed to intercept 45 missiles and 266 drones. Authorities reported 15 places hit by missile and drone debris.
In the Kyiv region alone, four people were killed, and 23 others injured. The Shytomyr region in northwestern Ukraine was attacked as well, resulting in the tragic deaths of three minors aged eight, twelve, and seventeen. Ten other individuals were wounded in the assault. The southwestern Chmelnytskyi region and the southern regions of Kherson and Mykolaiv also experienced nighttime attacks, with a man killed in Mykolaiv due to a drone attack on a residential building.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy renewed his appeal for increased international pressure on the Kremlin to halt the escalating brutality. In a Sunday online service, he urged the US and European allies to display firm resolve to persuade Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war. "Silence from America and elsewhere in the world only encourages Putin," he noted. The EU's foreign policy chief Kallas echoed the call for "maximum international pressure on Russia to bring an end to this war."
Over the weekend, Russian officials claimed that about a dozen Ukrainian drones were intercepted over Moscow. Four Moscow airports temporarily suspended flights due to the escalating drone activity. The Russian air defense report 110 intercepted Ukrainian drones across the country on the same night.
Diplomatic initiatives to cease fighting have intensified recently, despite Russia's unwillingness to heed European demands for an unconditional ceasefire. Russia has persistently linked ceasefire negotiations to broader peace talks, insisting on territorial demands, such as Ukraine's surrender of several regions, and the abandonment of its NATO aspirations.
Moscow's Foreign Minister Lavrov announced on Friday that Russia would transmit conditions for a "long-term agreement" to end the conflict to Ukraine following the prisoner exchange. Ukraine is also expected to prepare a corresponding document.
- Russia
- Ukraine
- Prisoner Exchange
- Weekend
- Attacks
- Istanbul
- Ceasefire Negotiations
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy
- EU
- Children
- Kremlin
- Kaja Kallas
[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61425421[2] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-wants-ukraine-make-key-concession-end-war-interfax- source-2-radio-2023-05-14/[3] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/5/15/russia-conducts-massive-drone-attacks-on-ukraine
- The prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia took place in Istanbul on Saturday, marking a small step amidst the ongoing conflict.
- Despite the exchange, continued attacks on Ukraine increased over the weekend, leaving fatalities and injuries across several regions.
- As the war continues, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for increased international pressure on the Kremlin, emphasizing the need for a ceasefire.
- Meanwhile, Russia has proposed conditions for a long-term agreement to end the conflict, with diplomatic initiatives intensifying in recent days.
