Russia completes prisoner exchange with Ukraine hours after launching large-scale airstrikes: both humanitarian breakthrough and tactical game tool

On Sunday, Russia and Ukraine exchanged hundreds of prisoners, the third and final part of a major exchange, reflecting a rare moment of cooperation in efforts to achieve a ceasefire in over three years of war. But a few hours ago, the Ukrainian capital Kiev and other areas were hit by a large-scale attack by Russian drones and missiles, resulting in at least 12 deaths and dozens of injuries. Ukrainian officials say this is the largest airstrike since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Earlier this month, Russia and Ukraine held direct talks in Istanbul, Türkiye. On May 23, 2025, the two sides reached an agreement through direct talks, launched the first large-scale prisoner exchange in three years, and reached the "1000 for 1000" prisoner exchange agreement, the largest prisoner exchange plan since the outbreak of the conflict. The agreement stipulates a three-stage exchange of a total of 1000 prisoners of war, including military and civilian personnel, aimed at alleviating the humanitarian crisis accumulated by long-term conflicts.

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the two sides exchanged 303 soldiers on Sunday, released 307 combatants and civilians on Saturday, and released 390 soldiers on Friday. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky confirmed the completion of the exchange and stated on Sunday that "303 Ukrainian defenders have returned home".

However, just two days after the agreement was reached, the conflict between the two sides suddenly escalated. Hours before the last prisoner exchange between the two sides, Kiev, Ukraine, was hit by a large-scale Russian drone and missile attack, resulting in at least 12 deaths. The Russian side claimed to have intercepted 110 Ukrainian drones and accused the Ukrainian military of launching airstrikes on Moscow Oblast, Kursk Oblast and other areas. This mutual attack is considered the largest attack on Kiev since the conflict, and the first high-intensity standoff has occurred in the capital regions of both sides.

Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yuri Ihnatt said the scale of the attack was shocking. Russia attacked Ukraine with 367 drones and missiles, making it the largest airstrike of the war. For Kiev, this day is particularly gloomy as the city is celebrating Kiev Day, a national holiday that falls on the last Sunday of May to commemorate Kiev's founding in the 5th century.

This prisoner of war exchange is the latest among dozens of exchanges since the beginning of the war and the largest involving Ukrainian civilians. However, both sides did not stop fighting. The frontline battle continues, with thousands of soldiers losing their lives, and neither side has relaxed its deep strikes. Yaroslav Yakimkin, a member of the "Northern" group of the Russian military, stated on Sunday that Ukrainian troops have been repelled from the border in the Kursk region, where Putin visited a few days ago. On Sunday, a Russian soldier stated on Russian state television that Putin was reportedly heavily attacked by Ukrainian drones while flying over the Kursk region by helicopter during his visit.

This prisoner of war exchange is both a humanitarian breakthrough and a tactical game tool. Its subsequent impact highlights the normalization of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which is difficult to transform into a substantive ceasefire in the short term, and may instead become a catalyst for the upgrading of technological confrontation and the solidification of strategic objectives.