By Blessing Nweke

At least eight people were killed and over 30 injured in a wave of Russian missile and drone strikes across Ukraine overnight, regional officials reported on Sunday. The attacks come just a day after one of the heaviest aerial assaults on Kyiv since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

Four people died in Ukraine’s western Khmelnytskyi region, with six homes destroyed and 20 more damaged, according to regional head Serhiy Tyurin. In the Kyiv region, three people were killed and 10 others wounded. Fires erupted as residential buildings were struck, forcing hundreds to seek shelter in metro stations amid Kyiv Day celebrations.

In the southern city of Mykolaiv, emergency services pulled the body of an elderly man from the rubble of a five-story building hit by a drone. Five others were injured there, while three more were wounded in Kharkiv.

Simultaneously, Russia reported intercepting 95 Ukrainian drones across eight regions, including Moscow, in a four-hour barrage. No casualties were reported, though debris caused damage in several areas. Moscow briefly suspended all flights due to the drone activity.

These fresh attacks come as Russia and Ukraine engage in a major prisoner swap—each side having returned nearly 700 prisoners over the past two days. A total of 1,000 prisoners per side are expected to be exchanged following rare in-person negotiations in Turkey.

Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump held a two-hour call with President Vladimir Putin to discuss a proposed U.S.-backed ceasefire. While Trump claimed progress, Putin has so far only committed to developing a memorandum on potential peace talks, stopping short of accepting a 30-day ceasefire.