three-day ceasefire, 2,000-prisoner swap

A rare three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, brokered by the U.S. and announced by Donald Trump, comes with a hefty prisoner swap—1,000 from each side. But the calm is only on paper. Even as leaders talked peace, deadly strikes rocked Ukraine, with over 27 killed and 120 wounded in the hours ahead of the pause. Ukraine struck back deep inside Russian territory, showing that despite a temporary window for diplomacy, the war’s intensity hasn’t eased.

Here’s the catch: high-level U.S. envoys are opening a new negotiation channel outside of the usual European frameworks, but on the ground, neither side is holding back. While Russia scaled back its iconic Victory Day parade in Moscow—no tanks or missiles for the first time in nearly two decades—drone threats and security fears reshaped the country’s biggest national celebration. Disruptions ran deep, from mobile blackouts in the capital to Ukrainian drone attacks shutting down southern airports and hitting oil infrastructure, signaling a shift where small, cheap drones exert outsized influence on both military tactics and national morale.

Based on reporting from Anadolu Ajansı, Politico, PBS, and Russia Matters, with on-the-ground data that challenges the high-level diplomatic spin.

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