Ukraine Denies Postponing Prisoner Swaps As Russian Attack Kills Three

Ukraine denied Russia’s allegations of indefinitely postponing prisoner swaps, while accusing the latter of “playing dirty games.” Overnight, missile and bomb strikes carried out by Russia on Kharkiv killed three people and left 22 injured. The move was followed by another bombing on Kharkiv by a Russian aircraft killing one civilian and injuring over 40 people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy termed this action as “a brutal murder.”

The countries agreed to a prisoner swap during the second round of talks held in Istanbul on Monday. In a separate incident, Russian officials claimed that a drone attack in Moscow injured two people. 

Meanwhile, Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky, on Sunday, asserted that Ukraine has unexpectedly delayed the process indefinitely. Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council Andriy Kovalenko denied the allegations of delay and accused Russia of playing dirty games. Instead, he urged them to return to “constructive work.”

While making a statement on the Telegram App, Kovalenko said that, "Today's statements by the Russian side do not correspond to reality or to previous agreements on either the exchange of prisoners or the repatriation of bodies.”

According to Russia’s Defence Ministry, Russian forces successfully employed precision long-range weapons and drones to target military targets in Ukraine.

The northeastern city of Kharkiv has been under fire since the war began as it is located just a few kilometres away from the Russian border. 

Mayor Ihor Terekhov had on Saturday posted on Telegram that, "Kharkiv is currently experiencing the most powerful attack since the start of the full-scale war.” He further said that residential buildings, educational infrastructure facilities were attacked with Kharkiv regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov claiming that one industrial facility was hit by forty drones and bombs.