On Sunday, Russia and Ukraine each exchanged 303 prisoners, marking the largest prisoner swap under the agreement reached during their May 16 talks in Istanbul, TĂźrkiye.
The three-day exchange saw Friday's swap of 270 soldiers and 120 civilians, Saturday's 307-for-307 exchange, and concluded with Sunday's 303-for-303 milestone.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported on X that the freed Ukrainians include personnel from the Armed Forces, National Guard, State Border Guard Service, and State Special Transport Service.
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that 303 servicemen returned from Kyiv-controlled territory and are now in the Republic of Belarus receiving psychological and medical assistance.
This operation represents the 65th prisoner exchange since the conflict began in 2022 and the sixth such swap this year, reflecting ongoing humanitarian negotiations amid war.
While tensions remain high, this record-scale swap underscores a shared interest in reducing human suffering and may pave the way for future confidence-building measures.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
