The Exchange of prisoners between Russia and Ukraine went ahead today as Kyiv counted the dead from a Russian air strike that levelled two residential blocks in the capital's eastern outskirts. Twenty four bodies have been pulled from the rubble so far. Emergency services say the final toll will climb.
Sources on the ground confirm the missile hit just before dawn. No military targets nearby. Just families sleeping. Children. The kind of strike that makes a mockery of any talk of peace negotiations.
Meanwhile, the swap. One hundred and forty Ukrainian prisoners for an equal number of Russians. A deal negotiated by the United Arab Emirates. It took place at an undisclosed border point. Both sides confirmed the exchange went smoothly. No reports of interference.
But here's the thing: while the prisoners walked free, the bombs kept falling. The strike that killed those 24 civilians happened hours after the exchange was finalised. The Kremlin has not commented on the air strike. Its official line remains that Russia targets only military infrastructure.
Documents obtained by this newsroom show that the residential blocks hit were built in the 1970s. No bunkers. No command posts. Just concrete panels and pensioners.
Ukraine's President Zelenskyy addressed the nation this evening. He said: "Every day Russia proves it seeks not peace but annihilation." He called for more air defence systems. His plea echoed across a city that has become a graveyard of broken promises.
The prisoner exchange is a small comfort. For the 24 families in Kyiv, it changes nothing. The bodies are still being identified. The funerals will follow.
This is the reality of war. Not the polished statements from diplomats. But the screams in the dark. The rubble. The silence.
More details to follow as we continue to investigate the exact type of missile used and the command chain behind the strike.
