Moscow [Russia], May 25: Russia and Ukraine continued their largest prisoner exchange to date on Saturday, releasing a further 307 people each, after another heavy wave of Russian attacks overnight.
The two sides have agreed to release a total of 1,000 prisoners each this week in the largest swap since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, with the first 390 freed on Friday.
"The large-scale exchange initiated by the Russian side is continuing," the ministry announced in Moscow on Saturday. The Russian soldiers are currently on the territory of Belarus, where they are receiving the necessary psychological and medical assistance, the ministry added. "All Russian military personnel will be brought to the Russian Federation for treatment and rehabilitation." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Russia had also released 307 prisoners.
He said they included members of the Ukrainian armed forces, border troops and the Ukrainian National Guard.
The head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andriy Yermak, wrote on Telegram: "They all defended our country, endured captivity, but did not break." Photos posted by Zelensky on Telegram showed the freed prisoners, wrapped in Ukrainian flags, crying, hugging each other and their wives, and talking on the phone with relatives.
Many look emaciated and have shaven heads. According to Yermak, some had been in Russian captivity since 2022.
Zelensky said that further releases were expected on Sunday. The exchange was agreed upon last week during talks in Istanbul. It was the only concrete result of the first direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations since 2022, which had been encouraged by US President Donald Trump.
"There is no greater joy," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha wrote on the platform X after the first round on Friday. "Such humanitarian confidence-building measures are crucial for our ongoing work to restore peace."
Despite the exchange, officials in Kiev reported on Saturday that at least 15 people were injured in a Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian capital.
The injuries were caused by falling debris from drones that were intercepted and shot down by air defences, according to local authorities. Eight people were initially reported injured.
"There were many fires and explosions in the city at night," Zelensky posted on social media.
It was a difficult night for Ukraine as a whole, with 250 drone attacks and airstrikes with 14 ballistic missiles, Zelensky added.
Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko had warned of continued danger as the first wave of drones approached the city. "Stay in shelters!" he urged residents on Telegram.
Teymur Tkachenko, head of the city's military administration, reported that debris had caused fires in residential buildings in two districts. Emergency crews were dispatched to the affected sites, he said.
Also on Saturday, Foreign Minister Sybiha argued on X that Russia had still not delivered the promised "peace memorandum" after the Istanbul negotiations.
"Instead, Russia is sending deadly drones and missiles at the civilian population," said the minister.
"This is Russia's response to international peace efforts and clear proof that increased sanctions pressure on Moscow is necessary to accelerate the peace process." Zelensky later urged the United States, European Union and others to step up punitive measures against Russia.
In addition to Kiev, the regions of Odessa, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv were among those affected by the Russian attacks.
The Russian Foreign Ministry had previously announced retaliatory strikes in response to what it described as "massive terrorist attacks" by Kiev.
Ukraine had launched drones at Moscow and other Russian regions in recent days as part of its defence against the ongoing Russian invasion of its territory. The Russian ministry accused Kiev of attacking civilian infrastructure and civilians with the aim of wrecking the resumed peace negotiation process.
Source: Qatar Tribune
