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Russia’s war against Ukraine
Ukrainian families of prisoners of war wait to see if their loved ones will be amongst the arrivals, on May 23, 2025 in Chernihiv, Ukraine. Ukraine and Russia have pledged to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war from both sides over the coming days, following the first direct talks between the two delegations held in Istanbul on May 16. (Paula Bronstein / Getty Images)
Zelensky slams Russia’s delay on peace memorandum as ‘mockery of the whole world.’ “We need a ceasefire. We need diplomatic steps toward real peace. And it’s definitely time to put more pressure on Russia,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Ukraine can only wage a ‘high-tech war of survival’ against Russia, Zaluzhnyi says. “I hope there is no one left in this hall still waiting for a miracle — for some white swan to bring peace to Ukraine, restore the borders of 1991 or 2022, and after that there will be great happiness in Ukraine,” said Valerii Zaluzhnyi, former commander-in-chief and current ambassador to the U.K.
Ukraine denies Trump’s claim that POW swap with Russia ‘completed.’ The planned exchange, involving 1,000 detainees from each side, follows an agreement reached between Ukrainian and Russian delegations during talks in Istanbul on May 16, 2025.
Ukraine confirms strike on Russian factory making parts for Iskander ballistic missiles, defense tech. Ukrainian drones attacked the Energy (Energia) plant in Yelets, Russian Telegram-channel Astra reported, citing locals. Videos on social media purported to show blasts and fires following the strikes.
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Putin claims Russia preparing ‘security buffer zone‘ along Ukrainian border. A spokesperson for Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said Putin’s words are further proof that Russia “is an obstacle to peace efforts.”
Ukraine would like Trump to attend potential Zelensky-Putin meeting, Sybiha says. Ukraine would like U.S. President Donald Trump to be present at a potential meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha told journalists.
Top executive at sanctioned Russian defense company reportedly injured in hammer attack. The Kurganpribor, which produces a range of equipment for Russia’s defense industry, including components for rocket systems, missiles, and bombs, is under U.S. and EU sanctions in response to Moscow’s full-scale war against Ukraine. It is described as one of the leading enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex.
Russian military helicopter crashes in Oryol Oblast. The Moscow Military District attributed the crash to a technical malfunction.
Read our exclusives
Ukraine war latest: Ukraine, Russia hold largest prisoner swap since start of Russia’s war
Zelensky announced on the same day that he held a meeting to prepare the exchange and called the agreement on the POW swap the only “real” result of the meeting between the two delegations in Istanbul.
Photo: President Volodymyr Zelensky / Telegram
‘It’s okay, Mom, I’m home’ — Ukraine, Russia hold largest prisoner swap of the war
Over three days, from May 23-25, 1,000 prisoners from both sides will return home in a deal agreed upon during direct Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul earlier in May — the first such talks between Moscow and Kyiv since 2022.
Photo: President Volodymyr Zelensky / Telegram
Human cost of Russia’s war
Russian attacks against Ukraine kill 7, injure 20 over past day. Russian attacks against Ukraine killed seven people and injured 20 others over the past day, regional authorities said on May 23.
Russia executes 2 Ukrainian POWs near Pokrovsk, prosecutors say. According to Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office, the incident occurred on May 22 during an attack on Ukrainian positions in one of the most active combat zones of the front line.
8 injured as Russia hits Kyiv with drones, ballistics hours after largest prisoner exchange kicks off. At least eight people were wounded as multiple waves of explosions rocked Kyiv overnight on May 24 during a massive Russian drone and missile attack. Two of the injured were hospitalized.
Russia strikes Odesa port with ballistic missiles, kills 2, injures 7. Four of the wounded are in serious condition, Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper said.
Opinions and insights
Chaos to coordination: the evolution of POW swaps in the Russia-Ukraine war
“The nature, size, and political significance of prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Russia have evolved significantly over the years of the full-scale war, accelerating sharply in recent weeks,” writes Mykolaj Suchy.
Photo: Olena Zashko / The Kyiv Independent
Ukraine must look beyond the EU for its agricultural future
“Ukraine stands at a trading crossroads. It must now decide which path to go down as the European Union plans to apply much higher tariffs on agricultural and other exports as soon as next month,” writes Mark Iwashko.
Photo: Future Publishing via Getty Images
Ultimate guide on how drones changed warfare in Ukraine
International response
EU to restore quotas on Ukrainian farm imports in June, Bloomberg reports. The move marks a significant shift in EU trade policy toward Kyiv, as bloc members seek to balance wartime support for Ukraine with growing domestic unrest from European farmers.
Finland ‘closely monitoring’ borders amid reports of Russian military preparations. The comments come after reports that Finland expects a Russian military build-up on its borders after the war in Ukraine ends.
German company shipped restricted technology to Russia despite EU sanctions, Politico reports. According to the report, Kontron used the Slovenian entity to ship over 3.5 million euro ($3.9 million) worth of telecommunications equipment to its Russian subsidiary, Iskra Technologies, between July and November 2023.
In other news
Ukraine, US officially launch joint Reconstruction Investment Fund. “The last step was a diplomatic note from the United States, which I personally received this morning. The Fund is officially launched,” Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said on May 23.
Russian jets violate Finnish airspace, defense ministry says. Two Russian military aircraft are suspected of violating Finland’s airspace, the country’s defense ministry reported on May 23.
Polish jets intercept Russian bomber over Baltic Sea after ‘dangerous’ maneuvers. According to Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, the Russian aircraft posed a threat to regional airspace safety.
Controversial ex-official Portnov visited Ukraine days before being killed in Madrid, news outlet reports. According to three Ukrainian Pravda’s interlocutors with knowledge of Portnov’s movements — including sources in law enforcement and his inner circle — he was in Ukraine on May 17-18 and reportedly met with top law enforcement officials.
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