MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Russia has launched massive drone and missile assaults on Ukrainian cities over the weekend.
A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
The attacks happened over the past three nights, even as the two countries carried out the largest prisoner exchange since Russia's full-scale invasion began more than three years ago. President Trump criticized the strikes while also repeating his claim that this war would have never started under his watch.
MARTIN: Joining us to talk about all this is NPR's Joanna Kakissis, who's in Kyiv. Good morning, Joanna.
JOANNA KAKISSIS, BYLINE: Good morning, Michel.
MARTIN: So let's start with Russia's latest drone and missile strikes. What can you tell us?
KAKISSIS: So Russia launched hundreds of drones and missiles at Ukrainian cities over the past three days, and these attacks have killed at least a dozen people, including children, and injured many more and also destroyed homes. And so here in Kyiv, we consider ourselves lucky if after all that, we are only sleep deprived. Here's what woke me up last night.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARTILLERY FIRE)
KAKISSIS: That's the sound of Ukraine's air defenses shooting down drones buzzing over our neighborhood.
MARTIN: Joanna, I've been hearing you report on these attacks just about every day, and they seem to be escalating. So why has Russia intensified its attacks in recent weeks?
KAKISSIS: So, Michel, we don't really have a clear answer, but this all happened after the Trump administration brokered a 30-day ceasefire proposal in March. Ukraine agreed to it, but Russia refused unless the West stopped sending weapons to Ukraine. And now last month, Russian missiles hit near a playground in one Ukrainian city and the crowded downtown of another city, killing 53 civilians in all, including several children. After this weekend's attacks, President Trump criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin on social media, saying Putin had, quote, "gone absolutely crazy." But Trump also slammed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and former President Biden and insisted they were also to blame for the war.
MARTIN: So considering all this, have the diplomatic efforts to end the war made any headway at all?
KAKISSIS: In terms of ending the war, no. As I said, Russia has not even agreed to a ceasefire, even after talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul a couple of weeks ago. The only breakthrough out of those talks was an agreement to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war from each country, anexchange which took place this weekend.
MARTIN: And you were there for this latest prisoner exchange. What - tell us about that. What kind of condition were the Ukrainians in?
KAKISSIS: So, Michel, they all looked sickly and gaunt. Their clothes were just hanging off them. Their heads were shaved. We don't know yet what these soldiers endured in Russian captivity, but other Ukrainians imprisoned by Russia have described horrific conditions. They were starved, beaten and tortured.
MARTIN: And what was the scene as these soldiers came home?
KAKISSIS: Well, it was incredibly moving and also heartbreaking. Families were gathered in this leafy courtyard in northern Ukraine, waiting to see if their loved ones would be among the soldiers getting off these chartered buses. Eighteen-year-old Milena Moroz held a photo of her father, who has been missing since February, and she broke down when we talked.
MILENA MOROZ: (Speaking Ukrainian, crying).
KAKISSIS: She's saying, "I wish I had told him, I love you, Dad." So when the buses carrying the soldiers arrived, the families rushed to hug them as they walked out. One young soldier, Anton Kobylnik, told us he'd been in captivity for three years.
ANTON KOBYLNIK: (Speaking Ukrainian).
KAKISSIS: He's saying, "I won't really feel like I'm at home until I see my mom." We only saw a handful of these reunions. However, Michel, most family members were left waiting in tears, including 18-year-old Milena Moroz. Her father is still missing.
MARTIN: Oh, it's so tragic. That's NPR's Joanna Kakissis in Kyiv. Joanna, thank you.
KAKISSIS: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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