Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia’s defence ministry said each side brought home 307 more soldiers a day after each released a total of 390 combatants and civilians. “We expect more to come tomorrow,” Zelensky said on his official Telegram channel
Russian Soldiers and civilians (inset) on returning from captivity. PICS/PTI
Russia and Ukraine exchanged hundreds more prisoners on Saturday as part of a major swap that amounted to a rare moment of cooperation in otherwise failed efforts to reach a ceasefire. The exchange came hours after Kyiv came under a large-scale Russian drone and missile attack that left at least 15 people injured.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia’s defence ministry said each side brought home 307 more soldiers a day after each released a total of 390 combatants and civilians. “We expect more to come tomorrow,” Zelensky said on his official Telegram channel. Russia’s defense ministry also said it expected the exchange to be continued, though it did not give details.
The swap took place at the border with Belarus in northern Ukraine
Hours earlier, explosions and anti-aircraft fire were heard throughout Kyiv as many sought shelter in subway stations as Russian drones and missiles targeted the Ukrainian capital overnight. In talks held in Istanbul earlier this month — the first time the two sides met face to face for peace talks since Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion — Kyiv and Moscow agreed to swap 1000 prisoners of war and civilian detainees each.
Officials said Russia attacked Ukraine with 14 ballistic missiles and 250 Shahed drones overnight while Ukrainian forces shot down six missiles and neutralized 245 drones — 128 drones were shot down and 117 were thwarted using electronic warfare. The Kyiv City Military Administration said it was one of the biggest combined missile and drone attacks on the capital. The debris of intercepted missiles and drones fell in at least six Kyiv city districts.
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