Russia, Ukraine swap 300 servicemen each in prisoner exchange

ISTANBUL

Russia and Ukraine on Friday exchanged 300 prisoners from each side, the Russian Defense Ministry said on the state-owned social media platform Max.

The exchange completed the release of 500 prisoners in total, following an earlier swap of 200 people on Thursday as part of agreements reached during peace talks in Geneva, according to Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky.

The ministry said 300 Russian servicemen had been returned and are currently receiving psychological and medical assistance in Belarus.

“All Russian servicemen will be transported to the Russian Federation for treatment and rehabilitation at Russian Ministry of Defense medical facilities,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that the United Arab Emirates and the United States provided humanitarian assistance during the return process.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 300 Ukrainian servicemen were returning home, along with two Ukrainian civilians released Friday.

Russia, Ukraine and the United States have held three rounds of peace talks since the start of the year — on Jan. 23–24, Feb. 4–5 and Feb. 17–18.

The first two rounds were held in Abu Dhabi, while the third took place in Geneva.