Russia and Ukraine said Thursday they completed another exchange of captured soldiers, part of a prisoner swap agreement reached during peace talks earlier this month in Istanbul.
Neither side disclosed how many soldiers were freed in Thursday’s exchange, the latest in a series of swaps since the June 2 talks, where Moscow and Kyiv agreed to release 1,000 prisoners of war from each.
“Our people are returning home from Russian captivity,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media.
Ukraine’s government agency overseeing the exchanges said the swap involved “seriously ill and wounded” soldiers.
Most of the Ukrainians had been captured in the early months of Russia’s 2022 invasion and suffered serious medical conditions, including dystrophy, ulcers, vision problems, musculoskeletal disorders and cardiovascular diseases, Ukraine said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed the exchange, posting photos of soldiers draped in Russian flags cheering and waving.
Zelensky shared similar images of freed Ukrainian soldiers, showing them crying, smiling and calling loved ones.
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