For today, links to reports from the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse (in English and French), Reuters, Kyiv Post, the Kyiv Independent, National Public Radio, the Moscow Times, and Tass; others or at least headlines are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (UKRAINE 5-23-25 is HERE, or scroll down.  GAZA and WEST BANK entries for this date, so far, are HERE and HERE, or scroll up.) — MCM

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NEWER  Russia and Ukraine swap hundreds more prisoners hours after a massive attack on Kyiv, by Illia Novikov and Alex Babenko | AP  KYIV — Russia and Ukraine exchanged hundreds more prisoners today as part of a major swap. The exchange came hours after Kyiv came under a large-scale Russian drone and missile attack that left at least 15 people injured. READ MORE . . .  Click HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE for reports in English from AFP, Reuters, Kyiv Post and the Kyiv Independent, and in French from AFP.

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After Istanbul talks, Russia-Ukraine conduct largest prisoner exchange since war began. Reported by Joanna Kakissis and Scott Simon | NPR  Ukraine and Russia have traded the largest number of prisoners since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, 2022. Click HERE to listen and, later, read, and HERE for report from Reuters.

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FROM MAY 23  Russian army downs over 100 Ukrainian drones in third night of air attacks. From the Moscow Times. Russia’s Defense Ministry said early Friday that it had downed more than 100 Ukrainian drones in a third consecutive night of air attacks across the country and annexed Crimea, as regional officials reported several injuries in the strikes. READ MORE . . .

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Upgraded Russian Iskander ballistic missiles outfox Patriots, Ukraine warns, by Julia Struck | Kyiv Post  Russia has modernized its ballistic missiles used to strike Ukraine, making it more difficult for the Patriot missile defense systems to intercept them, said the spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, Yuriy Ihnat, who revealed that . . . READ MORE . . .

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Russia to send draft memorandum on Ukraine to Kiev in coming days — senator. From Tass. MOSCOW — Russia will transfer to Kiev its draft memorandum on the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine in the next few days, work on the document being close to an end, according to Russian Federation Council Vice Speaker Konstantin Kosachev. READ MORE . . .

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