On Sunday, Russia announced that it had successfully exchanged an additional 303 Ukrainian prisoners of war for an equivalent number of Russian troops detained by Kyiv, marking the concluding segment of the largest prisoner swap between the two nations engaged in conflict.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated, “In line with the agreements reached in Istanbul on May 16, the Russian and Ukrainian sides have conducted an exchange of 1,000 individuals for 1,000 individuals over the weekend,” amid mounting international calls for a ceasefire.
Ukrainian President Zelensky confirmed the completion of the swap.
In the preliminary phase of the exchange on Friday, both parties received 390 individuals, followed by a second phase on Saturday involving 307 people.
Following this exchange, Russia indicated its intention to send Ukraine the terms for a potential peace agreement, though it did not disclose what those terms might entail.
On Friday, former U.S. President Donald Trump extended his congratulations to both nations for successfully executing the swap.
“This could lead to something significant,” he posted on his Truth Social platform.
Despite Trump’s previous attempts to negotiate a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict in Europe, the resolution has not yet materialized, despite his commitment to swiftly end the hostilities.
An AFP reporter observed some of the released Ukrainian soldiers arriving at a hospital in the northern Chernihiv region, looking gaunt yet smiling and waving at the crowds that gathered to greet them.
“It’s absolutely surreal. I have mixed emotions,” said 31-year-old soldier Konstantin Steblev to AFP on Friday as he set foot back on Ukrainian soil after spending three years in captivity.
Viktor Syvak, a 58-year-old soldier who had been imprisoned for 37 months and 12 days after being captured in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, described the difficulty of articulating his joy upon returning home.
“It’s indescribable. I can’t find the words. I’m just overwhelmed with happiness,” he remarked.
