Ukraine launched a drone attack on a building in Moscow, just 10 kilometers from the Kremlin, marking one of the most significant strikes on the Russian capital since the war began. The attack comes as diplomatic movements intensify, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski confirming preparations for a major prisoner swap mediated by the United States and signaling readiness to meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha stated on Sunday that Kyiv is willing to cooperate with Baltic nations and Finland to prevent drone-related incidents, which he attributed to Russian electronic warfare tactics designed to divert Ukrainian drones from their intended targets. “Investigations have shown these were acts of Russian electronic warfare aimed at deliberately redirecting our drones,” he wrote on X, adding that Ukraine is ready to involve its specialists in joint prevention efforts.
President Zelenski announced that a prisoner exchange of 1,000 Ukrainian prisoners for 1,000 Russian prisoners is being prepared with U.S. mediation. “The exchange is being prepared and must take place. The Americans have taken responsibility for guaranteeing it,” he said in his daily address. He stressed that Ukraine has handed over the lists of 1,000 prisoners to the Russian side and expects the United States to play an active role in ensuring compliance.
On the possibility of direct talks, Zelenski said Ukraine has long been prepared to meet with Putin but the right format is still needed. “Now Putin himself says he is finally ready for real meetings. We have pushed him a little in that direction, and we ourselves have been ready for such meetings for a long time. We need to find a format,” he stated, emphasizing the need to end the war and guarantee security reliably.
While welcoming the absence of massive Russian missile and air strikes on the second day of the de facto ceasefire, Zelenski lamented that no truce is observed near the front lines. “Russian troops continue their offensive in key sectors, with shelling and drone attacks ongoing in frontline towns,” he wrote on Telegram.
Meanwhile, Russia demanded an explanation from Ukraine over the drone attack near the Kremlin, calling it a provocative act that threatens Moscow’s security. The strike, carried out using long-range drones, damaged the facade of a government building but caused no casualties, according to local authorities.
The conflict, which began on February 24, 2022, when Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine, remains locked in a grinding war of attrition in eastern Europe. As both sides signal cautious openness to negotiations, the international community watches closely for any breakthrough that could pave the way toward a lasting peace.
