Russian drone strikes hit Kyiv, maternity hospital in Odesa; kills one, several injured: Ukraine

Russia launched ‘massive’ drone strikes on Ukraine's capital city Kyiv and port city Odesa in the early hours of Tuesday (June 10), killing one and also hitting a maternity ward, Ukrainian authorities said , issuing a call for additional sanctions.

Moscow has kept up its strikes against Ukraine, which has retaliated with attacks deep within Russian borders, while peace negotiations held over the weekend fell short of making a breakthrough toward stopping the three-year war.

Other than a deal to swap prisoners, efforts have been at a standstill and Russia has consistently dismissed demands for a unilateral ceasefire.

"Russia lies every day about its desire for peace and attacks people every day. Time to impose sanctions. Time to support Ukraine with weapons. Time to prove that democracy has power," Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential office, said on Telegram.

A 59-year-old man was killed during the Russian attacks on residential housing in Odesa, and at least four others were injured, governor Oleg Kiper said.

"The enemy massively attacked Odesa with strike drones. There is damage to civilian infrastructure and fires," Kiper wrote on Telegram.

"The Russians hit a maternity hospital, an emergency medical ward and residential buildings," he said, adding the maternity hospital had been evacuated in time.

"Stay in shelters! The massive attack on the capital continues," Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram, adding in a separate post around 3:00 am (0000 GMT) that "a new batch of UAVs (drones) is flying to the capital".

Multiple casualties were reported during the attacks that struck at least seven districts, with cars and buildings on fire.

Russia and Ukraine swapped prisoners of war under the age of 25, confirmed Russia’s Defence Ministry on Monday, stating the exchange was the result of direct talks held between representatives of Moscow and Kyiv earlier this month in Turkey.

“On June 9, in accordance with the agreements reached between Russia and Ukraine on June 2, the first group of Russian servicemen under the age of 25 was brought home from the area controlled by the Kiev regime. In exchange, a similar number of Ukrainian POWs was transferred,” the ministry said.

The talks held on June 2 in Istanbul led to an agreement between Moscow and Kyiv for exchange of at least 1,200 POWs on each side, focusing on the youngest and most severely wounded, and to repatriate thousands of bodies of those killed in the war, which is now in its fourth year.

The exchange, the biggest so far, was expected to happen in phases. The Russian Defence Ministry did not say in its statement how many POWs were exchanged on Monday, but confirmed that both sides had swapped the same number of military personnel.