Kyiv was on heightened alert early Saturday morning as anticipation grew for a possible Russian missile and drone assault. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported explosions heard across the city, indicating the activation of air defense systems. “Explosions in the capital. Air defenses have been activated. The city and the region are under a combined enemy attack,” Klitschko communicated through Telegram.
Initial reports confirmed that at least eight individuals sustained injuries from what was characterized as a “massive” attack. Klitschko mentioned that two of the wounded required hospitalization, while the remaining individuals were receiving treatment on-site.
The Ukrainian Air Force provided further warnings about ballistic missiles headed towards Kyiv. Local officials, including Tymur Tkachenko, the head of the capital’s civil and military administration, detailed the impact of the assault: two fires erupted in the Sviatochynskyi district, debris from missiles fell in the Obolonskyi area, and drone remnants landed on a residential structure in the Solomianskyi district.
The situation escalated the previous day when Russian missiles struck the Ukrainian port city of Odessa, resulting in two fatalities and further injuries, according to local authorities.
In a related development, the Russian military claimed that Ukraine had launched a total of 788 drones and missiles against its forces since Tuesday, with an impressive 776 of those intercepted and destroyed.
These recent attacks follow a significant prisoner exchange initiated between Ukraine and Russia on Friday. If fully executed, this swap would represent the largest exchange since the onset of the conflict more than three years ago. Each country initially received 390 individuals in the first phase of this operation, with plans to exchange a total of 1,000 per side, as per an agreement reached during direct talks in Istanbul last week.
Additionally, Russian officials indicated that terms for a peace settlement would be forthcoming once the prisoner exchange is completed, which is slated to unfold over a three-day period.
