Russia Launches Large-Scale Airstrikes Across Ukraine Ahead of Prisoner Exchange, Killing 5

Three Dead and Seventeen Injured in Kharkiv, Ukraine's Second-Largest City
Prisoner Exchange Scheduled from June 7 to 9

Russia launched airstrikes across Ukraine, including in Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city, ahead of a planned prisoner exchange, killing at least five people.

Firefighters extinguishing a fire caused by a Russian airstrike in Kharkiv. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

According to AFP and AP on June 7 (local time), the Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched nine missiles and 206 drones overnight between June 6 and 7. Of these, Ukrainian forces intercepted or neutralized seven missiles and 87 drones.

In Kharkiv, located 30 kilometers from the Russian border in northeastern Ukraine, at least three people were killed and 17 were injured. Among the injured were a one-and-a-half-month-old infant and a 14-year-old girl.

Oleh Synehubov, governor of Kharkiv region, stated that three missiles, five glide bombs, and 48 drones struck two districts of Kharkiv city. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov also said, "Eighteen apartment buildings and thirteen houses were damaged," adding, "This is the most powerful attack since the start of the full-scale war." The Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and Ternopil regions were also attacked.

Andriy Sybiha, Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister, commented, "To end Russia's killings, greater pressure on Moscow and additional measures to strengthen Ukraine are needed."

Russia has been carrying out large-scale missile and drone strikes on Ukraine every day, vowing retaliation for Ukraine's surprise attack on a Russian air base on Russian territory on June 1.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that on this day, it shot down 36 Ukrainian drones that flew into Russian territory.

Ukraine has called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire for 30 days. However, Russia has rejected this, demanding that Ukraine recognize the Russian-occupied territories?which account for 20% of Ukraine's land?as Russian territory, and that Western military aid be halted as conditions for a ceasefire.

The two sides held two rounds of high-level talks in Istanbul, T?rkiye, but reached no agreement on a ceasefire, agreeing only on a prisoner exchange. From June 7 to 9, both sides will proceed with the prisoner exchange agreed upon during the second round of negotiations on June 2.