Ukraine completes its largest prisoner exchange as Russia unleashes its most devastating assault, killing 12 civilians including three children while diplomatic efforts crumble
Summary of the Day – May 25, 2025
Ukraine’s greatest humanitarian triumph collided with Russia’s most brutal civilian assault as the final phase of the largest prisoner exchange brought 303 Ukrainians home while Russian forces launched their most devastating attack of the entire conflict. The overnight barrage of 367 weapons killed 12 people, including three children from a single family, and wounded 79 others across 12 regions, damaging over 80 residential buildings with 22 direct strikes recorded. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov promised to reveal Moscow’s peace terms following the exchange’s completion, while Ukrainian forces struck back at Russian energy infrastructure and disrupted Moscow’s airports. Polish fighter jets scrambled, Chinese support for Russia’s war machine was exposed, and Ukrainian wounded warriors competed in Chicago’s Soldier Field 10 run, meeting rock band AC/DC. Criticism mounted over the prisoner exchange’s failure to include Azov fighters and long-held civilians.
Destroyed homes following a Russian missile attack in Kyiv. Russian attacks on Ukraine have intensified in recent days despite the two sides holding their first direct talks since 2022, in Istanbul on May 16. (Andrew Kravchenko / Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Homecoming at Dawn: 303 Heroes Return to Freedom
Ukraine completed the final phase of its historic 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange with Russia on May 25, bringing home 303 prisoners of war in what marked the largest such swap since the full-scale invasion began three years ago. The exchange, conducted over three days from May 23-25, represented the only concrete achievement from the first direct talks between Ukraine and Russia in three years, held in Istanbul on May 16.
“I thank the team that worked around the clock to successfully carry out this exchange. We will definitely bring back every single one of our people from Russian captivity,” President Volodymyr Zelensky declared as families across Ukraine prepared to welcome their loved ones home.
The returning prisoners included members of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, National Guard, State Border Guard Service, and State Special Transport Service. Among the most celebrated returnees were 70 men who had defended Mariupol during the brutal Russian siege of 2022—heroes who had held the Azovstal steel plant against impossible odds. Since March 2022, Ukraine has now successfully returned 5,757 prisoners through negotiations and exchanges, with another 536 Ukrainians returning through other means.
Voices of Dissent: Criticism of the Exchange
Despite the celebration, the prisoner exchange faced sharp criticism from within Ukraine’s own ranks. Colonel Denys Prokopenko, commander of the Azov National Guard Brigade, described the exchange as a “mockery” due to the absence of Azov fighters among the released prisoners, posting on Facebook his disappointment that “not a single Azov resident among 1,000 exchanged people is a shame for our entire state.”
Writer and journalist Stanislav Aseyev separately criticized the exchange for failing to include civilians who have spent more than eight years in Russian captivity. “The list of hostages that I handed over to President Zelensky back in January 2020 has remained a list,” Aseyev wrote on Facebook, highlighting the plight of long-term prisoners held in Russian facilities.
Andriy Yusov, deputy head of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, explained that the exchange was conducted on “mutual lists,” with both Russia and Ukraine deciding which POWs they would return, underscoring the limitations of the negotiated process.
Terror from the Skies: Russia’s Record-Breaking Assault
As dawn broke on May 25, the scale of Russia’s overnight assault became horrifyingly clear. Russian forces had launched their largest combined drone and missile strike of the entire war—367 weapons targeting Ukrainian territory in a demonstration of Moscow’s capacity for civilian destruction.
The arsenal deployed was unprecedented in its scope: 298 Shahed drones and 69 missiles of various types, including nine Iskander-M and KN-23 ballistic missiles, 55 Kh-101 and Kalibr cruise missiles, one Kh-22 cruise missile, and four Kh-59/69 cruise missiles. The weapons were launched from multiple directions across Russian territory and the Black Sea, creating a multi-vector assault that overwhelmed Ukrainian air defenses.
Ukrainian forces performed heroically, intercepting 45 cruise missiles and neutralizing 266 drones through a combination of anti-aircraft fire and electronic warfare. However, 22 direct strikes found their targets, with over 80 residential buildings damaged across the country and additional regions affected by falling debris from intercepted weapons.
Allied Support: Poland Scrambles Jets
As the massive Russian assault unfolded, Poland scrambled fighter jets and activated air defenses to secure its airspace, as it has previously done during large-scale Russian attacks on Ukraine. The Polish response demonstrated continued allied solidarity and concern about potential spillover from Russia’s escalating attacks.
The Children of Zhytomyr: A Family Destroyed
The most heartbreaking toll was paid in Zhytomyr Oblast, where three children—aged 8, 12, and 17—from the same family were killed in the Russian assault. The siblings’ deaths represented the cruelest face of Putin’s war, as an entire generation was wiped out in a single strike. Both parents were hospitalized, with the mother listed in serious condition, left to mourn their lost children while fighting for their own lives. Twelve others in the oblast were injured in the attacks.
Regional Devastation: Death Across Ukraine
The tragedy in Zhytomyr was replicated across Ukraine’s regions. In Kyiv Oblast, four people died and 34 were wounded in attacks that struck the villages of Dolyna, Markhalivka, Makariv, and Chmyrivka. Two people were killed in Dolyna village when fires broke out in temporary structures, while Markhalivka saw one death and eight injuries, including a child, as three houses were destroyed.
In Mykolaiv, a 77-year-old man perished when a drone hit a five-story residential building, while five others, including a teenager, were injured. Khmelnytskyi Oblast lost four residents with five more wounded, as civilian infrastructure was destroyed and over 20 buildings damaged.
The Capital Under Fire: Kyiv’s Night of Terror
In Ukraine’s capital, the assault unfolded with methodical precision. Explosions rocked the city as frequently as every five to ten minutes, creating a sustained bombardment that tested both air defenses and civilian resolve. Eleven people were wounded across multiple districts as debris from intercepted drones caused fires and destruction.
A student dormitory in the Holosiivskyi district was struck by falling drone debris, sparking fires and injuring four people who received medical treatment on the spot. In the Shevchenkivskyi district, a business center sustained damage, while residential areas in the Dniprovskyi and Desnianskyi districts suffered significant destruction. The wounded ranged in age from 18 to 62, their injuries serving as testament to the indiscriminate nature of the Russian assault.
The attack’s timing was particularly cruel—it coincided with Kyiv Day, a city holiday typically celebrated on the last Sunday in May. Instead of festivities, residents found themselves in shelters, watching their city burn under Russian fire.
Industrial Targets: Ternopil and Chernihiv Hit
In western Ukraine, the city of Ternopil—less frequently targeted due to its distance from the front lines—suffered a direct hit from a Kalibr cruise missile. The precision weapon struck an industrial facility, causing a massive fire that consumed over 1,000 square meters. The attack demonstrated Russia’s continued capability to strike targets across Ukraine’s entire territory, regardless of their military significance.
Drones and missiles also hit multiple areas in the city of Chernihiv and the surrounding region, with fires breaking out at storage facilities and non-residential buildings, including one blaze that covered over 1,000 square meters.
Kupiansk’s Elderly Victims: Death Comes to the Frontline
The frontline city of Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast paid its own price in blood as Russian forces struck civilian targets. Two women—aged 85 and 56—were killed in the attack, while three others suffered injuries: a 60-year-old man and two women aged 75 and 68. The ages of the victims highlighted Russia’s indiscriminate targeting of Ukraine’s most vulnerable populations.
The aftermath of a strike on a residential building in Kupyansk. (Governor Oleh Syniehubov/Telegram)
“Medics are providing them with the necessary assistance,” Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported, though for the two elderly women, help came too late.
Ukraine Strikes Back: Hitting Russia’s Energy Lifeline
Even as Russian missiles fell on Ukrainian cities, Ukrainian forces demonstrated their growing capability to strike back at Russian military infrastructure. Ukrainian drones successfully attacked the Kavkazskaya oil pumping station in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai, damaging a critical pipeline connecting storage tanks and forcing the facility to suspend operations.
The strike targeted a vital component in Russia’s energy export infrastructure—part of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium system that pumps up to 6 million metric tons of oil annually. The attack resulted in a fire covering approximately 20 square meters and required the evacuation of 30 on-duty personnel. No casualties were reported, but the facility’s shutdown demonstrated Ukraine’s ability to disrupt Russian logistics far from the front lines.
Moscow’s Airports Closed: Drones Approach the Capital
Ukrainian drones also approached Moscow on May 25, forcing Russian authorities to close three major airports—Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky—for approximately two hours from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. local time. The closures disrupted civilian air traffic and demonstrated Ukraine’s growing capacity to bring the war home to Russian territory.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin claimed that Russian air defenses downed several Ukrainian drones on their approach to the capital, with debris falling at various locations throughout the city. Emergency crews were deployed to multiple sites, though the full extent of any damage was not immediately clear.
Railway Sabotage: Belgorod’s Transport Links Severed
In Russia’s Belgorod Oblast, a rail line was damaged when a cargo train ran over an explosive device planted underneath the tracks in the Novooskolsky district. The explosion damaged the railway’s overhead contact line and forced authorities to suspend train traffic in the area.
Regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed no one was injured in the incident, though emergency crews were dispatched to assess the full extent of the damage. The attack represented continued Ukrainian and partisan efforts to disrupt Russian military supply lines supporting the war effort.
Zaporizhzhia Strike: Fuel Train Destroyed
Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Agency reported that Ukrainian drone operators successfully destroyed three Russian fuel tanks during a strike on a train moving through occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia Oblast on May 24. The precision strike demonstrated Ukraine’s ability to target Russian military logistics even in occupied territory, disrupting fuel supplies essential to Moscow’s war machine.
Beijing’s Shadow War: China’s Military-Industrial Support
Intelligence officials revealed the extent of Chinese support for Moscow’s war machine on May 25. Oleh Ivashchenko, head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service, disclosed that Beijing is supplying “special chemicals, gunpowder, and components” to 20 Russian military-industrial manufacturing facilities.
“We have confirmed data on 20 Russian factories,” Ivashchenko told Ukrinform, revealing that 80 percent of critical electronic components used in Russian drones were of Chinese origin as of early 2025. Ukraine’s intelligence services had recorded at least five instances of China providing equipment and spare parts to service Russia’s military aviation industry.
The revelations underscored the global nature of the conflict, with China positioning itself as a potential mediator while simultaneously serving as what NATO labeled a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s aggression.
German Military Preparation: Arming for Future Conflict
Germany’s Chief of Defense, Carsten Breuer, issued a directive on May 25 ordering the German military to be fully equipped with weapons and materials by 2029, citing concerns that Russia could be capable of attacking NATO territory by then. The internal document, titled “Directive Priorities for the Bolstering of Readiness,” outlined a detailed roadmap reflecting shared assessments that Russia may rebuild its military enough to pose a direct threat to NATO’s borders.
The directive set acquisition priorities aligned with NATO recommendations, with particular emphasis on strengthening Germany’s air defenses and countering drones. NATO is expected to ask Berlin to at least quadruple its air defense systems, ranging from long-range platforms to short-range interceptors.
Battlefield Advances: Russia’s Pyrrhic Victories
On the military front, Russian forces achieved several marginal advances that came at enormous cost in personnel and equipment. In Kursk Oblast, Russian forces marginally advanced in western Gornal, maintaining pressure on Ukrainian positions in Russian territory seized during Ukraine’s August 2024 incursion.
In Kharkiv Oblast, Russian forces advanced within the Vovchansk Aggregate Plant in northern Vovchansk, continuing their efforts to push Ukrainian forces back from the international border. The city has been a key target in Russia’s attempts to create a buffer zone in northern Ukraine.
Near Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, Russian forces made marginal advances south of the strategic town, continuing their slow grinding assault on one of Ukraine’s key defensive positions in the eastern region.
Toretsk Pocket Eliminated: Russia’s Most Significant Gain
Russian forces completed a four-month offensive operation to eliminate the Ukrainian pocket southwest of Toretsk, capturing the settlements of Romanivka and Zorya, and likely seizing Stara Mykolaivka and Hnativka along with surrounding fields. The operation resulted in the capture of approximately 65 square kilometers of territory—representing one of Russia’s most significant tactical successes in months.
The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed victory in Romanivka, with elements of the 68th Tank Regiment participating in the final advances. However, the success came only after massive redeployment of forces from other sectors, indicating the enormous resources required for relatively modest territorial gains at this stage of the war.
Presidential Anger: Zelensky Condemns Western Silence
As rescue workers continued pulling bodies from rubble across Ukraine, President Zelensky issued his strongest criticism yet of Western inaction. “America’s silence, and the silence of others around the world, only encourages Putin,” he declared in a statement that directly challenged Ukraine’s most powerful ally.
“Without really strong pressure on the Russian leadership, this brutality cannot be stopped. Sanctions will definitely help. The world knows all the weaknesses of the Russian economy. It is possible to stop the war, but only through the necessary force of pressure on Russia. Putin must be forced to think not about launching missiles, but about ending the war.”
Zelensky announced that three new sanctions packages had officially taken effect following approval by Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council. The measures targeted individuals involved in financing terrorism, propagandists whose lies fuel Russia’s attacks, and members of Russian criminal organizations supporting Putin’s regime.
Trump’s Confused Response: Anger and Accommodation
US President Donald Trump finally broke his silence on the devastating attacks, expressing disapproval of Russia’s bombardment while simultaneously criticizing Ukraine’s leadership. Speaking to reporters at a New Jersey airport, Trump claimed he was “not happy with Putin” and didn’t know “what the hell happened to Putin.”
“He’s killing a lot of people,” Trump acknowledged, suggesting that new sanctions could be “on the table.” However, in the same breath, he criticized President Zelensky, claiming that “everything out of his mouth causes problems” and demanding that Ukrainian criticism of American inaction “better stop.”
In a Truth Social post, Trump escalated his rhetoric, calling Putin “absolutely crazy” and warning that continued aggression could bring about Russia’s collapse. Yet the mixed signals reflected broader confusion in American policy, with Trump having refused to impose additional sanctions after his two-hour call with Putin on May 19.
Kellogg’s Diplomatic Call: Ceasefire Without Accountability
Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, became the first US official to react to the overnight assault, though his response carefully avoided naming Russia as the perpetrator. “The indiscriminate killing of women and children at night in their homes is a clear violation of the 1977 Geneva Peace Protocols designed to protect innocents. These attacks are shameful,” Kellogg wrote on social media.
“Stop the killing. Ceasefire now,” he demanded, though his generic call for peace without consequences for aggression highlighted the limitations of American diplomatic engagement.
European Condemnation: Calls for Enhanced Sanctions
European leaders responded with greater clarity and determination than their American counterparts. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called for additional EU sanctions against Russia, declaring that “Putin is not interested in peace, he wants to continue this war.”
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna issued a direct challenge to Western resolve: “Putin continues this until the pressure becomes unbearable. It’s in our hands to make him stop.”
EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova described the strikes as mocking diplomatic peace efforts. “Russians are relentlessly stepping up the pressure. Stepping up the terror against civilians. They laugh at the world!!! They mock the U.S. and mock any diplomatic attempt at peace. Peace? What peace?”
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine issued a statement deploring the attacks: “With at least 78 people reported killed or injured across the country, last night’s attack tragically demonstrates the persistent deadly risk to civilians of using powerful weapons in urban areas.”
Chicago Marathon: Ukrainian Warriors on American Soil
Even as war raged at home, Ukrainian resilience was on display 5,000 miles away in Chicago, where 15 Ukrainians participated in the annual Soldier Field 10 run on May 24. The delegation included 13 active-duty soldiers wounded in action while defending Ukraine against Russian aggression, led by retired Major General Volodymyr Havrylov, head of the Veteran’s Ten charitable foundation.
“The finish line was so emotional—there were tears not only in our team’s eyes but also among many locals,” Havrylov said. The event gained additional attention when members of the legendary rock band AC/DC, who had a concert in Chicago that day, approached the Ukrainian team to express their support and concern for Ukraine.
“Even members of the legendary band AC/DC came up to us. They expressed their support and concern for Ukraine. Our guys delivered an outstanding performance—running with dignity despite all challenges. I’m incredibly proud of our team,” Havrylov reported.
The Ukrainian delegation’s program also included visits to churches, meetings with school students, radio interviews, and trips to the Ukrainian History Museum and Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, serving as an opportunity to express gratitude to the American people for their continued support.
Lavrov’s Peace Ultimatum: Terms After Terror
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov chose the moment of maximum civilian suffering to announce that Moscow would convey its peace terms to Kyiv following the completion of the prisoner exchange. Speaking to Russian state media, Lavrov disclosed that Moscow was “actively working” on a list of ceasefire conditions that would be ready “as soon as the exchange of prisoners of war is completed.”
The timing was calculated to demonstrate Russia’s position of strength—offering negotiations only after devastating civilian targets and securing maximum leverage through violence. Lavrov also dismissed the Vatican as a possible venue for future peace talks, claiming it would be “inelegant for Orthodox countries to use a Catholic platform.”
Medvedev’s Maximalist Vision: 80 Percent of Ukraine
Russian Security Council Deputy Chairperson Dmitry Medvedev used the moment of maximum destruction to reveal Moscow’s true territorial ambitions. In social media posts published as rescue workers searched through rubble, Medvedev called for Russian control over a “buffer zone” encompassing nearly all of Ukraine, sparing only small areas of Volyn and Lviv oblasts along Poland’s border.
The demand represented approximately 80 percent of Ukrainian territory—a maximalist position that revealed Russia’s unchanged war aims despite three years of grinding conflict and enormous casualties.
Putin’s Helicopter Drama: Claims of Battlefield Bravery
In a bizarre revelation, Russian military commander Yury Dashkin claimed that President Putin’s helicopter was “at the epicenter” of a Ukrainian drone attack on May 20 in Kursk Oblast. “We were simultaneously engaged in an air defense battle and ensuring airspace security for the president’s helicopter flight,” Dashkin told Russian media.
“The helicopter was effectively at the epicenter of the response to the massive drone attack,” he claimed, though no evidence was provided for the dramatic assertion. Ukrainian observers noted the claims could be an attempt to garner support by painting Putin as more closely involved in combat operations.
The Toll Mounts: 109,625 Confirmed Russian Deaths
Russian independent media outlet Mediazona, working with the BBC Russian service, confirmed the identities of 109,625 Russian military personnel killed in Ukraine as of May 23, 2025. The publications added 2,009 newly confirmed Russian military deaths since the beginning of May, representing the ongoing human cost of Putin’s war of aggression.
The confirmed toll included 27,000 volunteers, 17,200 recruited prisoners, over 12,000 mobilized soldiers, and more than 5,000 officers. The figures, derived from public sources including obituaries and memorial announcements, likely represent only a fraction of actual Russian military casualties.
Technological Evolution: Russia’s Enhanced Missiles
Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat revealed that Russia has upgraded its ballistic missiles with radar decoys and evasive maneuvers, making them potentially harder to intercept even by advanced Patriot air defense systems. The modified missiles now use quasi-ballistic flight paths that make them more difficult to track and predict.
“The flight of a ballistic missile along such a quasi-ballistic trajectory—when the missile doesn’t just fly in a straight line like it’s falling, but actually performs maneuvers in flight—makes it more difficult for the Patriot system to predict exactly where the missile will be,” Ihnat explained.
Despite these improvements, Ukrainian air defenses successfully intercepted six out of nine ballistic missiles launched at Kyiv during recent attacks, demonstrating continued defensive capabilities even against enhanced Russian weapons.
Russian Claims: Counter-Strike Assertions
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have shot down 110 Ukrainian drones overnight on May 25, including attacks over Moscow and Kursk oblasts. The claims, which could not be independently verified, represented Moscow’s attempt to portray effective defense against Ukrainian retaliation strikes.
Russian officials routinely inflate their defensive successes while downplaying Ukrainian capabilities, making accurate assessment of Ukrainian strike effectiveness difficult based solely on Russian reporting.
The Day’s Verdict: Terror and Resilience
May 25, 2025, revealed the true nature of Russia’s approach to peace—negotiation through devastation, diplomacy through destruction. As 303 Ukrainian heroes returned home to freedom and wounded warriors ran with pride in Chicago, Putin’s forces demonstrated that Moscow views civilian suffering not as a tragic consequence of war, but as a deliberate tool of policy.
The largest prisoner exchange in the war’s history should have been celebrated as a humanitarian triumph. Instead, it became overshadowed by Russia’s most devastating civilian assault, a calculated message that Moscow’s idea of peace remains indistinguishable from Ukrainian capitulation.
With Chinese components fueling Russian drones, German forces preparing for future conflict, and American leadership torn between condemnation and accommodation, the international community faced a stark choice: respond with the decisive pressure that could force genuine negotiations, or watch as Putin’s strategy of terror continues to claim innocent lives while diplomatic efforts provide cover for continued aggression.
The children of Zhytomyr, the elderly of Kupiansk, and the civilians across 12 Ukrainian regions paid the ultimate price for the world’s indecision. Their sacrifice demands more than statements of concern—it requires the kind of resolute action that can finally force Putin to choose between genuine peace and the complete isolation his war crimes deserve.