Overview
- Rescue crews ended operations Friday at a nine‑storey block in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district, confirming 24 people killed including three children after a suspected Kh‑101 cruise missile strike.
- Ukrainian officials said Russia mounted the war’s heaviest two‑day aerial assault since 2022, launching roughly 1,500–1,600 drones and dozens of missiles that damaged about 180 sites nationwide, including more than 50 apartment buildings.
- Ukraine’s air force reported interception rates above 90% for drones and many missiles, yet the mass swarms overwhelmed defenses at times and leveled an entire section of the Kyiv apartment block.
- Ukraine launched long‑range drone strikes into Russia on Friday, hitting a major oil refinery in Ryazan and other targets, with the regional governor reporting at least four deaths, including a child.
- Both sides completed the first stage of a US‑ and UAE‑mediated prisoner exchange on Friday, returning 205 captives each as international leaders condemned the Kyiv strike and Ukraine pressed partners for more air‑defence systems and sanctions enforcement.