Russia and Ukraine have exchanged 205 prisoners of war each in a new round of releases, according to statements from both governments on Friday.
According to the AFP, the exchange comes amid ongoing efforts to implement a broader swap involving hundreds of detainees.
Officials from Russia confirmed that 205 of its servicemen were returned from territories controlled by Ukraine, while an equal number of Ukrainian soldiers were handed over in return.
The Russian defence ministry said in a statement that “205 Russian servicemen were returned from territory controlled by Kyiv,” adding that Ukrainian prisoners were also transferred as part of the deal.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the development, noting that many of the returned Ukrainians had been held in Russian captivity since the early phase of the war. He said, “This is the first phase of the 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange.”
Photographs shared by Ukrainian authorities showed the released soldiers wrapped in national flags, celebrating their return after long periods in detention. Zelensky also noted that some of the freed personnel had fought in key battles, including Mariupol’s Azovstal steel plant and the defence of Chernobyl.
On the Russian side, officials said the released troops were taken to Belarus for medical and psychological support. They also acknowledged humanitarian assistance from the United Arab Emirates during the handover process.
The swap follows comments by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently said a larger 1,000-person exchange was expected as part of a US-brokered ceasefire arrangement. However, both Moscow and Kyiv have continued to accuse each other of violating temporary truce arrangements.
Despite continued fighting, prisoner exchanges remain one of the few ongoing areas of cooperation between the two sides since the war began in 2022.
