Russia launches nearly 300 drones at Ukraine as 528 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers are returned

Published connected 16/05/2026 - 13:24 GMT+2•Updated 13:27

At slightest 1 idiosyncratic was killed successful an overnight Russian onslaught crossed Ukraine, a time aft the warring countries exchanged 205 prisoners of warfare each, and arsenic the bodies of 528 Ukrainian soldiers were returned.

Ukraine's Air Force said 294 drones were launched by Russia overnight, adding that 269 of them were changeable down. It said nonstop hits were recorded by 20 drones astatine 15 locations.

In Kherson, 5 high-rise residential buildings and 19 houses were damaged successful the strikes, sidesplitting 1 and injuring 23 much people, according to determination Governor Oleksandr Prokudin.

In Ukraine's Odesa, Kharkiv and Sumy regions, much captious and civilian infrastructure was targeted by Russian strikes overnight.

39 settlements were near without powerfulness crossed Odesa aft the region's powerfulness infrastructure was damaged, affecting much than 22,000 consumers.

In Kharkiv, cardinal transport infrastructure was damaged, including a road, 2 metro stations, the electrical transport interaction network, a trolleybus, and a nationalist transport stop.

Seven radical were injured successful Sumy aft an bureau building, an ambulance, minibuses and cars were hit.

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone onslaught reportedly killed 1 idiosyncratic successful the Russian borderline portion of Belgorod, according to section authorities.

The onslaught deed a conveyance successful the municipality of Krasnaya Yaruga and killed a "civilian", according to a connection from the determination authorities.

Bodies of Ukrainian soldiers returned

Saturday's attacks came arsenic Russia returned the bodies of 528 Ukrainian soldiers killed successful action.

"As a effect of repatriation efforts, the bodies of 528 deceased individuals person been returned to Ukraine; according to the Russian side, they whitethorn beryllium Ukrainian servicemen," Ukraine's prisoners of warfare centre stated connected societal media, without specifying erstwhile the remains were received.

Investigators and experts "will instrumentality each indispensable steps to place the repatriated deceased", the centre said.

A time earlier, the 2 warring countries exchanged 205 prisoners of warfare each, pursuing an announcement from US President Donald Trump past week of a three-day ceasefire from 9-11 May, arsenic good arsenic an speech of 1,000 prisoners from each side.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Friday's speech of prisoners marked the archetypal signifier of the swap announced by Trump.

Since the commencement of the Russian penetration of Ukraine much than 4 years ago, exchanges of prisoners and the remains of fallen fighters person been 1 of the fewer areas of practice betwixt Moscow and Kyiv.