Moscow

On Sunday, Russia and Ukraine each successfully completed the exchange of 1,000 prisoners, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This marks the largest exchange since the war began three years ago.

The exchange, which kicked off on Friday, initially involved 120 civilians, predominantly prisoners. On the final day, 303 prisoners were swapped.

Zelensky announced via the Telegram app, “Today, our military, the National Guard, the State Border Patrol, and the special transport service personnel are returning home.”

This exchange represents the only tangible progress towards peace following the first in-person discussions between the conflicting parties in over three years. Previously, they had disagreed on a ceasefire proposition on May 16.

Ukraine, along with the US and other Western nations, is advocating for a 30-day combat suspension without conditions to facilitate peace talks.

It’s estimated that hundreds of thousands of soldiers from both sides have sustained injuries or lost their lives in this tragic conflict, which has become Europe’s deadliest since World War II. Yet, neither side has provided concrete casualty figures.

Tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians have also reportedly died amid artillery fire as Russian forces encircled their cities.

On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov mentioned that Moscow is prepared to put forth a proposal for a long-term peace agreement to Ukraine once the prisoner exchange concludes.

In a significant escalation, Russian forces have reportedly killed at least 12 individuals and injured many more across various Ukrainian cities, including the capital, Kiev, in what officials describe as the largest airstrike of the conflict thus far.

The Russian Ministry of Defense noted that its air defense units managed to intercept or destroy 95 Ukrainian drones within just four hours. Moscow’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, indicated that 12 Ukrainian drones were intercepted while headed towards the capital.