The prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine stands out as the only major achievement resulting from direct peace talks facilitated by former President Donald Trump. Yet even this moment of progress was marred by violence. On the same night the swap took place, Russia launched a wave of attacks on Ukraine using 250 drones and 14 ballistic missiles. At the same time, Moscow announced plans to present its own version of a peace proposal after the exchange. Ukraine, in turn, retaliated with a drone strike involving 94 unmanned aerial vehicles aimed at Russian territory.
Thank You, Heroes
Only hours before the attacks began, an emotional scene unfolded as hundreds of Ukrainians gathered at a designated exchange site, anxiously waiting for the first buses carrying freed Ukrainian soldiers. For many in the crowd — the women, men and children waving flags and holding up signs — this could be either the most joyful day of their lives or another devastating setback. Some would finally embrace their loved ones after years of uncertainty; others would leave still searching.
As the buses pulled in, voices rang out: “Thank you, heroes!” Amid the welcoming cheers, others held up photographs of missing soldiers, desperately hoping to find someone who had seen or heard of their loved ones in Russian captivity.
“Almost six months of not knowing anything. We came here hoping someone from the group might have seen him in prison, recognize his picture, or remember his name,” said Liubov Zabrodina, whose husband vanished at the front in December 2024.
Among the tearful reunions was one between Tetiana and her husband — a soldier she hadn’t seen since the siege of Mariupol in 2022. Waving a Ukrainian marines’ flag, she broke into tears as she spotted his face through the bus window.
“My friends told me he might be here. I didn’t believe it until I saw him. I can’t even describe how I feel. My heart is in my toes,” she shouted, overcome with emotion, as a weary hand waved back at her from inside the bus.
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