From: Transform Ukraine By Douglas Landro / May 7, 2025
Ukrainian Drones Target Russian Capital for Third Consecutive Night While 205 Prisoners of War Exchange Hands in UAE-Mediated Deal as Europe Announces Phase-Out of All Russian Energy Imports
Summary of the Day – May 6, 2025
Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow for the third consecutive night as Russia prepares for Victory Day celebrations, forcing airport closures just as China’s Xi Jinping and dozens of foreign leaders prepare to visit. Meanwhile, 205 Ukrainian defenders returned home in a UAE-mediated prisoner exchange, while Russian forces executed three Ukrainian POWs near Novopil. Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi announced stabilization of the Pokrovsk front as a Russian missile strike in Sumy killed three people, including a 6-year-old child. On the diplomatic front, the European Commission unveiled plans to completely phase out Russian gas imports by 2027, while Trump suggested falling oil prices are pressuring Moscow toward negotiations.
Aerial Chess: Third Night of Drone Attacks on Moscow Disrupts Airport Operations
Russian air defenses reportedly intercepted three drones heading toward Moscow on Tuesday evening, in what marked the third consecutive night of aerial assaults on the Russian capital. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced temporary restrictions on air traffic over Moscow and several other Russian cities, including Kaluga, Tambov, Yaroslavl, and Nizhny Novgorod. The alleged intercepts follow a larger drone attack overnight on Monday, when Russian officials claimed to have downed 19 Ukrainian drones approaching the capital from various directions.
These attacks come at a particularly sensitive time as Moscow prepares for Victory Day celebrations on May 9—a pivotal event on Russia’s patriotic calendar marking the Soviet defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. With Chinese President Xi Jinping and dozens of other foreign leaders expected to attend, the drone strikes serve as a reminder of Ukraine’s ability to project force deep into Russian territory, despite the Kremlin’s declared three-day ceasefire from May 8-10. Russian officials have already been forced to take counter-measures, including potential mobile internet restrictions on May 9, as Ukrainian drones rely heavily on these networks for navigation…
Voice of Ukraine 