Zelenskyy: Ukraine, Russia to hold largest POW exchange

Russia claimed on Friday that it shot down nearly 1,200 Ukrainian drones in one of the largest swarms sent by Kyiv overnight, resulting in at least four deaths. The attack occurred a day after intensive shuttle diplomacy between US-led talks aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has been raging for five years. US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday, followed by discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Dublin.

According to Russia's defense ministry, aerial defense systems intercepted and destroyed 1,198 Ukrainian drones over more than 15 Russian regions during the night. Four individuals working in an industrial zone, which houses an oil refinery and a chemical factory, lost their lives in the southern Volgograd region. Earlier on Thursday, Russia launched waves of explosive drones at the Ukrainian capital, claiming at least one life.

Ukraine has ramped up its drone attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure over the past 18 months, aiming to diminish the Kremlin's revenues and impair its capacity to finance the ongoing war that began in February 2022. Ukraine alleges that Russia is also targeting its own energy grid with aerial barrages, leading to widespread power outages across the nation as winter approaches with freezing temperatures.