Moscow and Kyiv say their respective troopers are returning residence with out specifying variety of launched prisoners.
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged prisoners of battle as the 2 nations proceed to commerce assaults, regardless of diplomatic efforts to finish the battle.
Officers in Moscow and Kyiv confirmed the swap on Thursday however didn’t disclose the variety of prisoners launched.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X that the “warriors of the Armed Forces, the Nationwide Guard, and the State Border Guard Service” have been returning residence.
“Most of them had been in captivity since 2022. We’re doing all the pieces potential to seek out every particular person, to confirm the knowledge on each title,” he stated.
“We should deliver all our folks residence. I thank everybody who helps us on this effort.”
On the similar time, Russia’s Ministry of Defence stated on Telegram that one other group of Russian troopers had returned from Ukraine.
“At the moment, Russian servicemen are on the territory of the Republic of Belarus, the place they’re receiving the required psychological and medical help,” the ministry stated.
The troopers will then be taken to Russia for remedy and rehabilitation, the ministry added.
Russian service personnel in entrance of buses at an unknown location in Belarus (Russian Defence Ministry/Handout through Reuters)
Throughout their direct assembly in Turkiye on June 2, Russia and Ukraine pledged to swap not less than 1,000 troopers in one of many few factors that each side have agreed upon and proven cooperation because the battle started in 2022.
However future talks to debate a path to finish the battle have stalled because the gulf between Moscow and Kyiv has remained unchanged.
Russia has repeatedly stated any territory it has taken in the course of the battle should be retained to realize a ceasefire. Nevertheless, Kyiv has rejected giving up its land.
Amid the newest prisoner change, Russian air strikes on Ukraine killed not less than one particular person and wounded two others within the southern area of Kherson, in accordance with the regional mayor.
Furthermore, Russia introduced that its forces had captured two Ukrainian villages within the Donetsk area as Ukraine’s military chief, Oleksandr Syrskii, ordered defensive traces to be constructed sooner as Russian forces take extra floor in the direction of the Dnipropetrovsk area.
In the meantime, Zelenskyy signed an accord on Thursday with the Council of Europe to place high Russian officers on trial for the invasion of Ukraine.
