ISTANBUL  

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Thursday with citizens of his country who were freed in an historic prisoner exchange with the West coordinated by Türkiye.

The Kremlin released a video of Putin at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport personally greeting the Russian citizens returned to Moscow, after which he held a meeting that was attended by top officials including Defense Minister Andrey Belousov.

“First of all, I would like to congratulate you all on your return to your homeland,” Putin was quoted as saying by a corresponding Kremlin statement.

Addressing those directly involved in military service, he further said: “I want to thank you for your loyalty to your oath and your duty to your Motherland, which has never forgotten you for a moment.”

Putin went on to say that they will be nominated for state awards.

Earlier, Türkiye's National Intelligence Organization (MIT) led a successful prisoner exchange involving seven countries in one of the most extensive swap operations in recent years.

The swap involved 26 prisoners from the US, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia and Belarus. The operation saw 10 prisoners, including two children, being sent to Russia, 13 to Germany and three to the US.