At least 12 people were killed in Ukraine overnight into May 25, 2025, following a series of Russian strikes, according to officials. The deadly attacks came as Kyiv and Moscow exchanged fire during a major ongoing prisoner swap.
Russia unleashed a second consecutive night of intense airstrikes across Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv, prompting emergency services to describe the assault as a night of “terror.”
Russia pounded Ukraine with a second consecutive night of massive airstrikes, killing at least 12 people, including three children, and injuring many more.
Officials reported four deaths each in the Kyiv and Khmelnytskyi regions, and one in Mykolaiv. “We saw the whole street was on fire,” said Tetiana Iankovska, a 65-year-old retiree in Makhalivka near Kyiv.
Another local, 64-year-old Oleskandr, expressed frustration with peace efforts: “We don’t need talks, but weapons, a lot of weapons to stop them (the Russians). Because Russia understands only force, nothing else.”
Despite the violence, Russia and Ukraine completed their largest prisoner exchange since the war began in February 2022, swapping 1,000 captives each. The exchange unfolded over three days, with 390 people traded on Friday, 307 on Saturday, and 303 on Sunday, according to Russia’s defense ministry.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the swap’s completion and shared footage of emaciated but smiling Ukrainian soldiers arriving at hospitals. “It’s simply crazy. Crazy feelings,” said 31-year-old Konstantin Steblev, newly freed after three years in captivity. Viktor Syvak, held for over 37 months after being captured in Mariupol, said of his return, “It’s impossible to describe. I can’t put it into words. It’s very joyful.”
Leave a comment