Ukraine and Russia finalized a major prisoner exchange, with 303 captives returned to Ukraine on Sunday as part of a broader swap of 1,000 detainees each, agreed upon during talks in Istanbul.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Sunday that 303 Ukrainian captives have been returned from Russia, marking the final stage of a prisoner exchange agreed upon in Istanbul earlier this month.
“Today, warriors of our Armed Forces, the National Guard, the State Border Guard Service, and the State Special Transport Service are returning home,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.
The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed the completion of a three-day prisoner of war exchange, stating that on Sunday, both sides swapped 303 detainees each.
“In accordance with the Russian-Ukrainian agreements reached on May 16 in Istanbul, from May 23 to May 25, the Russian and Ukrainian sides carried out an exchange on the formula of 1,000 for 1,000 people,” the ministry said.
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