KYIV – Russian forces blasted Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities in one of the largest two-day air assaults since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, with at least 24 people killed, including three children, in the capital, authorities said early on May 15.
Rescue crews continued to search through the rubble of a partially destroyed nine-story apartment building in the Darnytskiy district of Kyiv, with more fatalities likely among the dozens of people injured in the attacks that began on May 13.
"Rescuers continue clearing the rubble and searching for people in the building in Darnytskiy district nonstop," Ukraine's state emergency service wrote on Telegram.
Authorities said 18 units were destroyed in the strike on the nine-story building. At least 20 people are listed as missing in the Darnytskiy district.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that at least 57 people were injured throughout the capital, 27 of whom were hospitalized.
"Everything was burning. People were screaming...people were shouting," Andriy, a Kyiv resident wearing blood-stained night clothes, told AFP near a collapsed residential building.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that, according to initial reports, a Russian Kh-101 subsonic cruise missile struck the apartment building. He called for heightened diplomatic efforts to prevent Russia from developing such weapons.
"There were people there, children. What happened to them? You have to understand, an entire building collapsed," Alla Komisarova, 74, was quoted by Reuters as saying at the site.
"I heard something flying, it's flying nearby...And then there was such a terrible sound, and our house, which is opposite [to the apartment building] jumped and rumbled."
Kyiv authorities declared May 15 a day of mourning for the victims of the latest Russian attacks on the city.
In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy said Russia had launched 1,567 drones against Ukrainian sites since the start of May 13. He put the number of dead at 27 over the past two days, with the toll likely to rise.
Meanwhile, Russian authorities said a Ukrainian drone attack killed three people and injured 12, including children, in the central Russian city of Ryazan.
"Two high-rise residential buildings were damaged," regional governor Pavel Malkov said early on May 15.
Schools and kindergartens in Ryazan's Oktyabrsky district have been closed for safety reasons, the governor added.
According to several Russian-language Telegram channels, a drone stirke hit the Ryazan oil refinery, one of Russia's largest oil processing plants, triggering a major fire at the site.
Malkov confirmed that drone debris fell on the grounds of an "industrial facility" but did not specify that it was the refinery.
Russia's Defense Ministry reported on May 15 that its forces destroyed 355 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions overnight.
Kyiv has said it targets military sites and energy infrastructure that is used to fuel the Kremlin's war machine, sometimes deep inside Russian territory.
Ukraine-Russia PoWs Exchange
Zelenskyy announced on May 15 the first stage of a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine, part of an agreement linked to a temporary cease-fire brokered last week by US President Donald Trump, confirming that 205 Ukrainian prisoners of war had been returned.
"Today, warriors of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the National Guard, and the State Border Guard Service are returning from Russian captivity. This is the first stage of the 1,000-for-1,000 exchange,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X.
The Russian Defense Ministry also reported on the prisoner exchange, saying that 205 Russian soldiers had been released from Ukraine and were currently in Belarus before heading to Russia.
The United Arab Emirates mediated the Russia-Ukraine prisoner exchange, the ministry said.
War 'Coming To An End'?
The violence comes days after the end of a shaky cease-fire to mark the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany on May 9-10-11.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on May 9 said the war "coming to an end," although he offered no suggestion of compromises that could lead to a potential peace deal with Ukraine.
Following the latest Russian attacks, Zelenskyy ridiculed Putin’s assertion, saying, "These are definitely not the actions of those who believe the war is coming to an end."
"It's important that partners do not remain silent about this strike. And it is equally important to continue supporting the protection of our skies," he added.
Regional Governor Oleh Synyehubov separately said that 28 people, including three children, were injured in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, in attacks on civilian sites.
Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said the attacks were evidence that Moscow wanted to continue the war despite attempts by the US to broker a peace deal.
"I am certain that the leaders of the United States and China have enough leverage over Moscow to tell Putin to finally end the war," he wrote on X, referring to US President Donald Trump's ongoing visit to China.
"Moscow is testing the unity and resolve of the free world, believing terror can weaken support for Ukraine," Sybiha wrote.
Russia denies it targets civilian sites despite widespread evidence of such attacks.
