Prisoner Swap Follows Devastating Missile Strike in Kyiv

Mon Jun 01 2026 08:56:38 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A recent prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine occurred after a tragic missile strike in Kyiv killed 24 civilians. The swap involved 205 prisoners on each side amidst a day of mourning for the victims.

In a dramatic turn of events, 205 prisoners were exchanged between Russia and Ukraine shortly after a missile strike in Kyiv resulted in the deaths of 24 people, including young children. Ukrainian President Zelensky expressed grief over the loss and condemned the continuing violence as the region faces escalating conflict. This prisoner swap is part of ongoing efforts to address the humanitarian impact of the war, as the ceasefire terms were violated soon after this exchange.

Russia and Ukraine exchanged 205 prisoners on Friday, hours after rescue workers ended their search of a destroyed block of flats in Kyiv in which 24 people were killed, including three girls.

Most of the Ukrainian prisoners had been held since 2022, said President Zelensky.

The swap was part of a short-lived ceasefire ending this week with the launch of massive Russian strikes across Ukraine, including a missile attack that reduced 18 flats to rubble. Among the victims was 12-year-old Lyubava Yakovleva, whose father was killed during the war.

Meanwhile, Russian officials said four people, including a child, were killed when Ukrainian drones hit the city of Ryazan, south-east of Moscow.

Images on social media showed damage to two blocks of flats, which Ryazan Governor Pavel Malkov said had been damaged by debris. Twenty-eight people were hurt in the attack. Ukraine's drone commander said his forces had hit Ryazan's oil refinery - one of the biggest in Russia.

Rescue services in the Darnytskyi district of south-east Kyiv completed their search of the rubble of a devastated nine-storey apartment block on Friday. Throughout the 28-hour operation, residents and soldiers looked on, waiting for news of missing relatives.

Kyiv was marking a day of mourning on Friday for the 24 victims of the strike, which included two employees of the Nova Poshta postal service, a former hockey player, and a kindergarten teacher.

President Zelensky laid flowers at the site of the attack and emphasized the importance of holding Russia accountable for its actions, stating that the building had been practically levelled to the ground by a Russian X-101 cruise missile.

This prisoner exchange is described as the initial stage of a larger swap plan involving 1,000 personnel from both sides, aided by brokers from the US and UAE, who facilitated the release of prisoners with medical and psychological support.