Ukraine, Russia agree to mass POW swap
NewsFeed Ukraine, Russia agree to mass POW swap
Ukraine and Russia agreed to a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner swap — the war's largest — during their first direct peace talks in three years, in Istanbul. Kyiv is now pushing for a Zelensky-Putin summit and a clear ceasefire plan.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Jazeera
3 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Russia says it shoots down 10 Ukrainian drones targeting Moscow
Russian forces have shot down 10 Ukrainian drones heading towards Moscow, according to the city's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, as Ukraine reports at least one person killed in Russian attacks. There were no reports of any damage in Moscow on Sunday, but the Ukrainian attack led to a short-lived fire at the Azot chemical plant in the neighbouring Tula region, injuring two people, and seven drones were destroyed above the Kaluga region, regional governors said. Rosaviatsia, Russia's civil aviation authority, said on Telegram that to ensure air safety, it halted flights at Moscow's Vnukovo and Domodedovo and nearby Kaluga (Grabtsevo) airports. They were later reopened. The drone attack was carried out as Kyiv launched an unprecedented drone operation last weekend deep inside Russia, targeting nuclear-capable military aircraft at Russian airbases. Moscow promised to retaliate, unleashing a barrage of attacks in recent days. Early on Sunday, Russian air attacks pummelled multiple locations across Ukraine. At least one person was killed in the industrial region of Dnipropetrovsk, which was hit by drones, artillery and rocket launchers, according to the head of the regional council. 'The invaders struck … Synelnykivsky district with a guided aerial bomb. A man was killed. Our sincere condolences to his family,' Mykola Lukashuk said. 'Five private houses and a kindergarten were also damaged,' he added. In the Nikopol district of Dnipropetrovsk, a business, four homes and power lines were damaged, he said. Later on Sunday, Russia said its ground forces had pushed into Dnipropetrovsk for the first time in its three-year offensive in Ukraine. The Russian Ministry of Defence said forces from a tank unit had 'reached the western border of the Donetsk People's Republic and are continuing to develop an offensive in the Dnipropetrovsk region', referring to the part of the Donetsk region held by Russia-backed rebels since 2014. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine about Russia's statement. In more than a decade of conflict with Kremlin-backed separatists and the Russian army, Ukraine has never had to fight on the territory of the central region until now. Dnipropetrovsk is an important mining and industrial hub for Ukraine, and deeper Russian advances into the region could have a serious knock-on effect for Kyiv's struggling military and economy. It was estimated to have a population of about three million people before Russia launched its full-scale war on Ukraine in February 2022. Ukrainian military personnel previously told the AFP news agency that Russia could advance relatively quickly in the largely flat region, given there are fewer natural obstacles or villages that could be used as defensive positions by Kyiv's forces. Also on Sunday, Russian forces hit villages in the neighbouring southern regions of Zaporizhia and Kherson, injuring two civilians, local officials said. Russia has accelerated its advance in recent weeks as the latest negotiations in the Turkish city of Istanbul failed to broker an end to the war. The warring sides accuse each other of delaying a large-scale prisoner exchange – the only concrete outcome of the talks in Istanbul. The prisoner swap, originally due to take place this weekend, would see more than 1,000 people released from each side. But Moscow accused Kyiv on Saturday of not agreeing to a date to swap the captured soldiers while Ukraine said Russia was playing 'dirty games' by not sticking to the agreed parameters for the swap.
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Al Jazeera
Hamas and the media
Throughout the various ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, western news outlets have repeatedly blamed their failure on Hamas. This week, we hear a perspective that rarely features in the coverage – the group's own – on the negotiations and the media narratives that surround them. Contributors: Tahani Mustafa – Senior Palestine Analyst, International Crisis Group Basem Naim – Politburo member, Hamas Julie Norman – Associate Professor, University College London Abdaljawad Omar – Lecturer, Birzeit University Ukrainian drone strikes on multiple Russian airfields have further escalated the conflict, as peace talks come up short. Tariq Nafi reports on the messaging on the airwaves both sides of the border. After decades of increased connectivity, screen time and addictive algorithms, more and more young people are logging off. The Listening Post's Ryan Kohls looks at the community-based movements reevaluating their relationships with digital technology. Featuring: Monique Golay – Barcelona Chapter Leader, Offline Club Hussein Kesvani – Technology and culture journalist Adele Walton – Author, Logging Off
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Al Jazeera
At least three killed in Russia's ‘most powerful' attack on Kharkiv
At least five people have been killed and more than 20 wounded as Russia launched a barrage of missiles, drones and bombs across Ukraine, officials said. The Ukrainian air force said on Saturday that Russia struck with 215 missiles and drones overnight, and Ukrainian air defences shot down and neutralised 87 drones and seven missiles. At least three people were killed and 17 others, including two children, were wounded in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said, describing the assault as 'the most powerful' on the city since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. He reported 48 Iranian-made drones, two missiles and four guided bombs were fired before dawn at the city of 1.4 million people, located just 50km (30 miles) from the Russian border. 'Drones are still circling above,' Terekhov wrote on Telegram at 4:40am (01:40 GMT), as air raid sirens wailed across the city. Residential buildings and civilian infrastructure were heavily damaged. The northeastern city was also hit by a missile strike on Thursday that left 18 people injured, including four children. Elsewhere in the south, Russian shelling hit the city of Kherson, killing a couple and damaging residential buildings, regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin confirmed. In Dnipro, two women, aged 45 and 88, were injured in separate attacks. Officials said on Friday that at least six people were killed and dozens were wounded on Friday when Russia launched an aerial bombardment across Ukraine. Rescue workers in the city of Lutsk on Saturday recovered another body, raising the toll from Friday's attacks to seven. Moscow said Friday's assault was carried out in response to Ukrainian 'terrorist acts' against Russia, saying military sites were targeted. The surge in Russian attacks follows a Ukrainian drone operation last weekend that damaged nuclear-capable military aircraft at Russian airbases deep behind the front lines, including in Siberia. Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged to retaliate for the attack, which Kyiv reportedly planned for 18 months using smuggled drones. Ukraine, meanwhile, continues to push for a 30-day ceasefire and presented its latest proposal during talks in Istanbul on Monday. But Moscow has rejected calls for a truce, insisting the war is a matter of national survival. 'For us, it is an existential issue,' Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Friday. 'It concerns our national interest, our safety, and the future of our country.' Putin has demanded Ukraine withdraw from four partially occupied regions, abandon its NATO ambitions and halt all Western military cooperation – terms Kyiv has dismissed as unacceptable. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has instead called for a three-way summit involving himself, Putin and United States President Donald Trump.
