'The capital is under attack': At least 12 dead and dozens injured as Russian drones launched over Ukraine

A "massive" Russian drone and missile attack hit several regions in Ukraine overnight - leaving at least 12 dead, including children, and dozens injured, authorities have said.

The widespread strikes took place for a second consecutive night across around 30 cities, towns and villages, just hours before Russia and Ukraine swapped hundreds more prisoners on Sunday - the third and last part of a major exchange that marks the only tangible outcome from peace talks that have so far failed to produce a ceasefire.

Yulia Svyrydenko, Ukraine's first deputy prime minister, said three children were among at least 12 killed in the attacks. Writing in a post on X, she described it as "another night of terror" and said: "Russia's targets are clear: homes, families, children."

Ukraine's air force said Russia bombarded the country with 298 drones and 69 missiles, making it one of the largest aerial attacks of the war since the invasion started in February 2022. The air force said it downed 266 drones and 45 missiles.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy released a statement criticising the US, saying: "America's silence, and the silence of others in the world, only encourages Putin."

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Sounds of explosions could be heard throughout the night in Kyiv and the surrounding area, in the north of the country. At least four people in the capital were among the dead, according to Ukraine's security service.

There were other attacks across the country, including drone strikes in Mykolaiv, southern Ukraine, where a residential building was hit.

Footage from Odesa, about 80 miles away, showed emergency responders trying to extinguish fires as smoke billowed from cars and houses.

Meanwhile, Russia said it too faced a Ukrainian drone attack on Sunday, and that it intercepted and destroyed around 100 near Moscow and across the country's central and southern regions. Its defence ministry did not report any casualties.

'Massive' attack

In Kyiv, the city's administration urged people to remain in shelters. Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko described it as a "massive" attack.

He said: "Explosions in the city. Air defence forces are working. The capital is under attack by enemy UAVs. Do not neglect your safety! Stay in shelters!"

Mr Klitschko said a student dormitory in the city's Holosiivskyi district was hit by a drone and one of the building's walls was on fire, while in Dniprovskyi district, a private house was destroyed.

In her post on X, Ms Svyrydenko said: "In Zhytomyr, three children were killed - 8, 12, and 17 years old.

"In Kyiv region, four more people were killed. Sixteen injured.

"In Khmelnytskyi, four dead, five wounded.

"In Mykolaiv, a Russian drone targeted a five-story apartment building, killing one and injuring five."

She continued: "Ukraine is standing. But we are asking-not for sympathy, but for action. Air defense. Sanctions. Pressure. Now."

It came after at least 15 people were injured in attacks the previous night.

In his statement on Sunday, Mr Zelenskyy thanked rescuers working across 30 of the country's towns and villages after the strikes, saying the targets were Kyiv and 11 other regions.

"Each such terrorist attack by Russia is a sufficient reason for new sanctions against Russia," he said, echoing comments he made after the previous overnight attack.

"Determination matters now - the determination of the United States, the determination of European countries, and all those in the world who want peace," he wrote.

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Final prisoners exchanged

Despite the attacks, Russia and Ukraine completed their exchange of 1,000 prisoners each, marking a rare moment of co-operation in the war.

The three-day exchange started on Friday and involved mostly prisoners of war, along with 120 civilians. On Sunday, both sides swapped 303 prisoners.

Hundreds of thousands of soldiers on both sides are believed to have been wounded or killed in the war, although neither side publishes accurate casualty figures.

Tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians have also died as Russian forces have besieged and bombarded its cities.