Russia and Ukraine swap hundreds more prisoners as another attack on Kyiv leaves 3 dead

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Updated 25 May 2025
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Russia and Ukraine swap hundreds more prisoners as another attack on Kyiv leaves 3 dead

Russia and Ukraine swap hundreds more prisoners as another attack on Kyiv leaves 3 dead
  • Hundreds more Ukrainian and Russian detainees were freed in a prisoner swap exchange
  • Russian president Vladimir Putin accused of delaying peace deal in a bid to capture more Ukrainian land

KYIV: Russia and Ukraine exchanged hundreds more prisoners Saturday as part of a major swap that amounted to a rare moment of cooperation in otherwise failed efforts to reach a ceasefire.

The exchange came hours after Kyiv came under a large-scale Russian drone and missile attack and authorities said another combined aerial attack that started Saturday night and stretched into Sunday morning had left three people dead in the “Kyiv region,” according to Mykola Kalashnyk, head of the Kyiv regional military administration.

Mayor Vitali Klitschko said “there are already 10 injured” is Kyiv as of 3 a.m. Sunday, adding that a student dormitory in Holosiivskyi district was hit a drone and the exterior of one of its walls was on fire.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia’s defense ministry said each side brought home 307 more soldiers on Saturday, a day after each released a total of 390 combatants and civilians. Further releases expected over the weekend are set to make the swap the largest in more than three years of war.

“We expect more to come tomorrow,” Zelensky said on his official Telegram channel. Russia’s defense ministry also said it expected the exchange to be continued, though it did not give details.

Hours earlier, explosions and anti-aircraft fire were heard throughout Kyiv as many sought shelter in subway stations as Russian drones and missiles targeted the Ukrainian capital overnight.

In talks held in Istanbul earlier this month — the first time the two sides met face to face for peace talks since Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion — Kyiv and Moscow agreed to swap 1,000 prisoners of war and civilian detainees each.

‘A difficult night’

Officials said Russia attacked Ukraine with 14 ballistic missiles and 250 Shahed drones overnight while Ukrainian forces shot down six missiles and neutralized 245 drones — 128 drones were shot down and 117 were thwarted using electronic warfare.

The Kyiv City Military Administration said it was one of the biggest combined missile and drone attacks on the capital.

“A difficult night for all of us,” the administration said in a statement.

Posting on X, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called it “clear evidence that increased sanctions pressure on Moscow is necessary to accelerate the peace process.”

Posting on X, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy spoke of “another night of terror for Ukrainian civilians.”

“These are not the actions of a country seeking peace,” Lammy said of the Russian strike.

Katarina Mathernová, the European Union’s ambassador to Kyiv, described the attack as “horrific.”

“If anyone still doubts Russia wants war to continue — read the news,” Katarina Mathernová wrote on the social network.

Air raid alert in Kyiv

The debris of intercepted missiles and drones fell in at least six Kyiv city districts. According to the acting head of the city’s military administration, Tymur Tkachenko, six people required medical care after the attack and two fires were sparked in Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district.

The Obolon district, where a residential building was heavily damaged in the attack, was the hardest hit with at least five wounded in the area, the administration said.

Yurii Bondarchuk, a local resident, said the air raid siren “started as usual, then the drones started to fly around as they constantly do.” Moments later, he heard a boom and saw shattered glass fly through the air.

“The balcony is totally wiped out, as well as the windows and the doors,” he said as he stood in the dark, smoking a cigarette to calm his nerves while firefighters worked to extinguish the flames.

The air raid alert in Kyiv lasted more than seven hours, warning of incoming missiles and drones.

Kyiv’s mayor, Vitalii Klitschko, warned residents ahead of the attack that more than 20 Russian strike drones were heading toward the city. As the attack continued, he said drone debris fell on a shopping mall and a residential building in Obolon. Emergency services were headed to the site, Klitschko said.

Separately, 13 civilians were killed on Friday and overnight into Saturday in Russian attacks in Ukraine’s south, east and north, regional authorities said.

Three people died after a Russian ballistic missile targeted port infrastructure in Odesa on the Black Sea, local Gov. Oleh Kiper reported. Russia later said the strike Friday targeted a cargo ship carrying military equipment.

Russia’s defense ministry on Saturday claimed its forces overnight struck various military targets across Ukraine, including missile and drone-producing plants, a reconnaissance center and a launching site for anti-aircraft missiles.

A complex deal

The prisoner swap on Friday was the first phase of a complicated deal involving the exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side.

It took place at the border with Belarus, in northern Ukraine, according to a Ukrainian official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.

The released Russians were taken to Belarus for medical treatment, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

POWs arrived at the medical facility in the Chernihiv region for a second day on Saturday. But for many their arrival was bittersweet.

Those who were not reunited with their loved ones took solace in the released POWs providing some information about when their relatives were last seen.

Anna Marchenko, the daughter of a missing Ukrainian serviceman, was elated when a released POW said they had seen her father.

“This is such a big news. It’s like a fresh breath of air,” she said. “I didn’t see him, but at least it’s some news. At least it’s news that gives us the opportunity to continue to breathe and live in peace.”

However, the exchange — the latest of dozens of swaps since the war began and the biggest involving Ukrainian civilians so far — did not herald a halt in the fighting.

Battles continued along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, where tens of thousands of soldiers have been killed, and neither country has relented in its deep strikes.

After the May 16 Istanbul meeting, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called the prisoner swap a “confidence-building measure” and said the parties had agreed in principle to meet again.

But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that there has been no agreement yet on the venue for the next round of talks as diplomatic maneuvering continued.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow would give Ukraine a draft document outlining its conditions for a “sustainable, long-term, comprehensive” peace agreement, once the ongoing prisoner exchange had finished.

Far apart on key conditions

European leaders have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet in peace efforts while he tries to press his larger army’s battlefield initiative and capture more Ukrainian land.

The Istanbul meeting revealed that both sides remained far apart on key conditions for ending the fighting. One such condition for Ukraine, backed by its Western allies, is a temporary ceasefire as a first step toward a peaceful settlement.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that overnight and early on Saturday its forces shot down over 100 Ukrainian drones over six provinces in western and southern Russia.

The drone strikes injured three people in the Tula region south of Moscow, local Gov. Dmitriy Milyaev said, and sparked a fire at an industrial site there.

Andriy Kovalenko, of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said Saturday the drones hit a plant in Tula that makes chemicals used in explosives and rocket fuel.


Russian FM Lavrov to visit North Korea this weekend

Russian FM Lavrov to visit North Korea this weekend
Updated 5 sec ago
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Russian FM Lavrov to visit North Korea this weekend

Russian FM Lavrov to visit North Korea this weekend
SEOUL: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit North Korea this weekend, state media reported, the latest in a series of high-profile visits by top Moscow officials as the two countries deepen military ties.
Lavrov "will visit the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from July 11 to 13 at the invitation of the DPRK Foreign Ministry," the official Korean Central News Agency reported Wednesday.
Russia's security chief Sergei Shoigu has visited Pyongyang multiple times this year, including last month, when the two countries marked the one year anniversary of the signing of a sweeping military pact.
The two heavily-sanctioned nations signed the military deal last year, including a mutual defence clause, during a rare visit by Russian leader Vladimir Putin to the nuclear-armed North.
Pyongyang has become one of Moscow's main allies during its more than three-year-long Ukraine offensive, sending thousands of troops and container loads of weapons to help the Kremlin oust Ukrainian forces from Kursk region.
Around 600 North Korean soldiers have been killed and thousands more wounded fighting for Russia, Seoul has said, with Shoigu announcing in Pyongyang last month that the nuclear-armed North would send builders and deminers to Kursk.
North Korea only confirmed it had deployed troops to support Russia's war in Ukraine in April, and admitted that its soldiers had been killed in combat.
Leader Kim Jong Un has subsequently been shown in state media images honouring the flag-draped coffins of North Korean soldiers killed helping Russia fight Ukraine.

China says EU ‘mentality’, not trade, needs to be rebalanced

China says EU ‘mentality’, not trade, needs to be rebalanced
Updated 10 min 42 sec ago
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China says EU ‘mentality’, not trade, needs to be rebalanced

China says EU ‘mentality’, not trade, needs to be rebalanced
  • EU chief Ursula von der Leyen remarked the EU would seek to rebalance economic ties with China, demanding it eases market access for European firms and loosen export controls on rare earths

BEIJING: Beijing said on Wednesday that the European Union needed to rebalance its “mentality,” not its economic ties with China, ahead of a summit between the two this month.

“It is hoped that the European side realizes that what needs to be rebalanced right now is Europe’s mentality, not China-EU economic and trade relations,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday the EU would seek to rebalance economic ties with China, demanding it eases market access for European firms and loosen export controls on rare earths.

Addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg, von der Leyen said Beijing was running the largest trade surplus “in the history of mankind” exporting vast amounts to the EU while making it harder for European companies to do business in China.

The trade deficit between China and the EU was a yawning $357 billion in 2024.

The commission leader, who will travel to Beijing with European Council President Antonio Costa, said the pair will seek to loosen export restrictions on rare earths — while Brussels also looks at “developing alternative supply resources.”

Beijing snapped back on Wednesday, saying that in the “current turbulent situation,” the bloc and China should “properly handle divergences and frictions.”

“We hope that the European Union will truly establish a more objective and rational understanding of China and pursue a more positive and pragmatic China policy,” Mao said.


Taiwan kicks off military drills in face of China threat

Taiwan kicks off military drills in face of China threat
Updated 28 min 21 sec ago
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Taiwan kicks off military drills in face of China threat

Taiwan kicks off military drills in face of China threat
  • The self ruled island faces the constant threat of an invasion by China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to seize it

TAIPEI: Taiwan kicked off its largest military drills Wednesday with regular troops joined by a record mobilization of reservists for 10 days of training aimed at defending against a Chinese invasion.

The annual “Han Kuang” exercises, which are being held at the same time as civilian defense drills, will run from July 9-18 and feature newly delivered US high-tech rocket systems.

The self-ruled island democracy faces the constant threat of an invasion by China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to seize it.

Chinese military pressure has intensified in recent years, with Beijing deploying fighter jets and warships around the island on a near-daily basis.

In the lead-up to the drills Wednesday, Taiwan detected 31 sorties by Chinese military aircraft and seven warships around the island in the 24 hours to 6:00 am (2200 GMT Tuesday), according to the defense ministry.

Taiwan has boosted defense spending and acquired smaller and more nimble weaponry, including drones, to enable its military to wage asymmetric warfare against its more powerful foe.

Twenty-two thousand reservists — the largest ever call-up — are participating in this year’s drills, having begun a training program Saturday.

Reservist training includes familiarization with rifles, squad and platoon machine guns, and tactical maneuvers.

“Because these reservists have been discharged and away for a long time, upon return they need to undergo specialty refresher training,” said an army officer who asked not to be named.

On Wednesday, reservists wearing camouflage uniforms, helmets and boots were put through their paces, practicing cleaning, assembling and aiming 65K2 rifles and machine guns.

Taipei is eager to show the world, especially its key security backer Washington, that it is serious about boosting its military capability.

The drills will “let the international community know that we are determined to defend ourselves, and to pass on to China that the nation’s military has the confidence and ability to defend a free and democratic life,” Taiwanese Defense Minister Wellington Koo said recently.

This year’s drills have been extended to 10 days and nine nights, from five days and four nights last year.



The Han Kuang began in 1984 when the island was still under martial law.

Troops will simulate various scenarios including “grey zone harassment” — tactics that fall short of an act of war — as well as “long-range precision strikes” to combat a Chinese invasion in 2027, defense officials have said.

Officials in the United States — Taipei’s biggest arms supplier — have previously cited 2027 as a possible timeline for a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

Recently delivered High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) from the United States will be used during the drills.

There will also be a separate live fire event involving US-made advanced M1A2 Abrams tanks.

Taiwanese defense officials have been closely monitoring the war in Ukraine and their use of a decentralized command and control structure.

“When we think practically about combat, we consider what kind of scenario Taiwan might face,” a senior defense official said on the eve of the drills.

“Commanders at all levels need to be able to decide what to do based on their understanding of their superior’s intent. This usually requires peacetime training to build up their awareness in this regard.”

The exercises are being held as President Lai Ching-te, who is a staunch defender of Taiwan’s sovereignty, tours the island delivering speeches aimed at “uniting the country.”

China has carried out several large-scale military drills around Taiwan since Lai took office last year, as the island rejects China’s sovereignty stance.

China specialists at risk analysis firm Eurasia Group said Beijing was “likely” to carry out more military exercises at the end of July.

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A wildfire that reached Marseille is pushed back but not extinguished

A wildfire that reached Marseille is pushed back but not extinguished
Updated 40 min 11 sec ago
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A wildfire that reached Marseille is pushed back but not extinguished

A wildfire that reached Marseille is pushed back but not extinguished
  • Spurred by hot summer winds, the fire grounded all flights to and from Marseille and halted train traffic in most of the surrounding area

MARSEILLE: A wildfire that reached France's second-largest city and left 110 injured was pushed back overnight but was not yet extinguished Wednesday, authorities said. Marseille's mayor lifted a confinement order for tens of thousands of people.

Mayor Benoit Payan said on broadcaster France-Info that the fire was in ‘’net regression'' Wednesday morning after racing toward the historic Mediterranean port city Tuesday, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate and the population of an entire city district to barricade themselves indoors on official orders.

Spurred by hot summer winds, the fire grounded all flights to and from Marseille and halted train traffic in most of the surrounding area Tuesday. Train, road and plane traffic remained complicated Wednesday.

The mayor said 110 people were treated for smoke inhalation and related injuries.

More than 1,000 firefighters were deployed to tackle the fire, which broke out near the town of Les Pennes-Mirabeau before racing toward Marseille. Some 720 hectares were hit by the blaze, the prefecture said.

The prefecture described the fire as ’’particularly virulent.″ It came on a cloudless, windy day after a lengthy heat wave around Europe left the area parched and at heightened risk for wildfires. Several have broken out in southern France in recent days, including one in the Aude region that has burned some 2,000 hectares and continued to rage Wednesday.

Light gray smoke gave the sky over Marseille’s old port a dusty aspect as water-dropping planes tried to extinguish the fire in the outskirts of the city, which has some 900,000 inhabitants.


Presidents of five African nations to meet with Trump at White House

Presidents of five African nations to meet with Trump at White House
Updated 09 July 2025
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Presidents of five African nations to meet with Trump at White House

Presidents of five African nations to meet with Trump at White House
  • The presidents of Senegal, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Gabon will convene at Trump's behest

DAKAR: US President Donald Trump will welcome five African leaders to a White House lunch on Wednesday, with commerce and trade expected to feature prominently among a mixed bag of potential agenda items.

The presidents of Senegal, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Gabon — five nations located along Africa’s Atlantic Coast — will convene at Trump’s behest.

Officials from the countries have told AFP that they expect talks to center on trade, investment and security, among other topics as they meet in the executive mansion’s State Dining Room.

But few concrete details have emerged as to the White House’s intentions.

The meeting comes as the Trump administration is focused on tariffs and trade deals, and as it seeks to ensure a stable supply of critical minerals.

But the five nations lack the extreme mineral wealth of other African countries, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The gathering additionally takes place just days after the Trump administration celebrated the formal shuttering of the US foreign aid agency USAID, trumpeting the move as an end to the “charity-based model.”

Officials from the five countries who spoke to AFP seemed keenly aware of the White House ethos.

Liberia’s President Joseph Boakai accepted the invitation with an eye on no longer being “solely (an) aid recipient,” his press secretary Kula Fofana told AFP on Tuesday.

“Our interest is to look more to trade and engagement partners who will invest,” she said.

Gabonese presidential spokesman Theophane Biyoghe said the meeting marked a chance for synergies “centered around the industrialization of our economy.”



US arch rivals China and Russia have made major incursions into the region recently, including substantial investments by Beijing in a number of the countries.

Moscow, meanwhile, has lent support to the region’s newly formed Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprised of junta-led Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

The alliance states share borders with several of the counties at Wednesday’s lunch.

Security and drugs could additionally feature on the White House agenda.

In April, Guinea-Bissau said it had turned over four convicted Latin American drug smugglers to the US DEA drug enforcement authority.

The country is often used as a transit zone for moving cocaine from Latin America to Europe and beyond.

Shortly before leaving for Washington, Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo described the visit to the press as “very important” for his country.

“Economically, this is a great opportunity opening for us,” he declared, adding that he hoped his country would also benefit from “the support” the United States provides to other countries.



A number of world leaders have faced brutal political ambushes during White House visits.

Among them are Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who became embroiled in a notorious row with Trump, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

During a visit, Trump showed the South African leader a video of baseless claims of a “white genocide” being committed in his country.

While those episodes happened in front of cameras in the Oval Office, the five African presidents meeting Trump on Wednesday are so far not scheduled to appear before the press.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shared few details about the meeting when she told a briefing on Monday only that Trump would “host leaders of five African nations for lunch” in the State Dining Room.

Gabon, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal are among 36 nations that the United States is considering adding to a travel ban barring entry to its territory, according to an internal administration memo last month.