Russia Steps Up Airstrikes on Ukraine’s Capital After POW Swap

Firefighter clear debris from a balcony at a residential building damaged after a Russian attack in Kyiv on May 24.Photographer: Alex Babenko/AP Photo

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By Daryna Krasnolutska and Kateryna Chursina

May 24, 2025 at 4:02 AM UTC

Updated on

May 24, 2025 at 10:56 PM UTC

Russia intensified its attacks on Ukraine’s capital, firing drones and missiles overnight after a seven-hour barrage of Kyiv on Saturday that was one of the most sustained in the four-year war.

The airstrikes, which spilled over into early Sunday, followed the second stage of a major prisoner of war swap. Another 307 prisoners on each side were exchanged near Ukraine’s northern border with Belarus, Russia’s Defense Ministry said.