Russia, Ukraine announce fresh prisoner swop
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Relatives holding up photos of their missing family members on July 4 as freed Ukrainian prisoners of war return home, in the hope that they might recognise the people in the photos.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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KYIV - Russia and Ukraine announced a fresh prisoner swop on July 4 as part of agreements reached between them during talks in Istanbul in June.
The warring sides have swopped prisoners of war throughout Russia’s more than three-year invasion. At recent talks in Istanbul, they agreed to free all heavily wounded, ill and captive troops who are under 25-year-old.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky published photographs of freed Ukrainian troops, wrapped in blue and yellow flags.
“Our people are home. Most of them had been held in Russian captivity since 2022,” he said on social media.
Mr Zelensky said they included servicemen from the army, national guard, border service and transport service, adding: “And also civilians.”
He did not say how many Ukrainians had been returned.
“Ukraine’s goal is to free all our people from Russian captivity,” Mr Zelensky said.
Russia’s defence ministry also reported the swop, saying Kyiv handed over a group of its servicemen who were currently in Moscow-allied Belarus.
It also did not say how many troops were exchanged.
Russia is believed to hold thousands of Ukrainian prisoners, many of whom were captured in the first year of Moscow’s offensive when Russian troops advanced
Kyiv also holds many Russian captives, although that number is believed to be considerably smaller. AFP
