War in Ukraine: Russia and Ukraine complete prisoner exchange

Russia and Ukraine have released another 303 people and thus completed their greatest prisoner exchange so far since the beginning of the war. This was announced by the Russian Ministry of Defense in Moscow and the Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj. Since Friday, 1,000 prisoners have been freedom on both sides.

The exchange on Sunday was the third and last stage in the unprecedented campaign of the warring parties. The Russian Ministry of Defense said that the agreement made in Istanbul was fulfilled between the warring parties.

The day before, 307 prisoners had come into freedom. The exchange had started on Friday with the handover of 390 prisoners each. In the past, both warring parties had repeatedly exchanged prisoners. Because of the large number, three stages were necessary this time.

Selenskyj wants to get all prisoners back

The third and last stage had announced Selenskyj several times for this Sunday. “But the task is to bring absolutely to everyone who is currently stuck in Russia. And that is a common task for our secret services, for our diplomats, for our whole state. Of course this is not an easy task, but it has to be fulfilled,” said Selenskyj the day before.

Of the returnees on Saturday, 273 in the Donetsk area were in Russian captivity, a large part already in 2022, said Selenskyj. Others were caught by the Russians in the areas of Cherson, Saporischschja, Kharkiw and Luhansk.

Moscow: Russian soldiers are currently in Belarus

The Russian soldiers are currently on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, where they received the necessary psychological and medical help, the Ministry in Moscow said. “All Russian military members are brought to the Russian Federation to treat and rehabilitation,” it said.

The exchange had been agreed on May 16 in talks in Istanbul. He remained the only concrete result of the first direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations since 2022, to which US President Donald Trump had been urged.