Russian Strike Kills 24 in Kyiv as Prisoner Swap Proceeds

A Russian missile strike on a Kyiv apartment block killed 24 people, including 12-year-old Lyubava Yakovleva whose father had been killed earlier in the war. Despite the attack, a prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine went ahead. The strike underscores the continued brutality of the war even as diplomatic channels remain open. The prisoner swap, one of the few cooperative acts between the sides, proceeded amid the mourning, highlighting the complex coexistence of warfare and negotiation.