KYIV: Ukraine and Russia exchanged 200 prisoners of war each on Thursday, marking another round of swaps between the two sides even as negotiations to end the conflict remain deadlocked.
Officials from both countries confirmed the exchange, which took place amid ongoing diplomatic efforts backed by the United States to find a path toward peace in the four-year-long war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed the return of the soldiers, saying the effort reflects Ukraine’s continued commitment to bringing all captured personnel home.
“Every time our people return, it proves that Ukraine is working tirelessly to bring everyone back. No one is forgotten,” Zelenskiy said in a message posted on social media, according to Reuters.
He also acknowledged the role of international partners and mediators, including the United States, in facilitating the exchange.
According to Ukrainian officials, several of the released prisoners had been held since the early stages of the war, including during Russia’s siege of Mariupol in 2022.
Emotional scenes unfolded as families and relatives gathered to greet the returning soldiers at an undisclosed location. Many of the freed prisoners stepped off buses wrapped in Ukrainian flags while crowds welcomed them with cheers and applause.
Officials said the two sides are expected to conduct another exchange involving 300 prisoners each on Friday, signalling that humanitarian arrangements between Kyiv and Moscow continue despite political disagreements over territory and the broader peace process.
