Following resolutions agreed on in Instanbul Turkey about a week ago, Russia and Ukraine have each handed over 390 soldiers and civilians in what is known to be the biggest prisoner exchange since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The exchange of 270 servicemen and 120 civilians for a start, took place on the Ukrainian border with Belarus, as part of the major agreement arrived at in Instanbul Turkey
Both sides had agreed to an exchange of 1,000 prisoners and confirmed there would be further swaps as things unfold.
The Russian defence ministry said servicemen and civilians, including those captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk border region during Kyiv’s offensive in recent months, were among those handed over as they shared images of the Russian prisoners released by Ukraine
“They were currently on Belarusian territory and were to be taken to Russia for medical checks and treatment”, the ministry said.
“We are bringing our people home,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on social media.
“We are verifying every surname, every detail about each person.”
Ukraine’s co-ordination headquarters for prisoners of war said the 270 Ukrainian servicemen had fought in regions across the east and north, from Kyiv, Chernihiv and Sumy to Donetsk, Kharkiv and Kherson.
Three of the 390 released on Friday were women, officials said, and some of the soldiers had been held since 2022.
US President Donald Trump earlier posted his congratulations on his Truth Social platform, claiming that the swap was complete and that “this could lead to something big”.
Families of Ukrainian soldiers held by Russia gathered in northern Ukraine on Friday in the hope that their sons and husbands would be among those released.
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