Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war (POWs) on Saturday, as the Russian defense ministry confirmed, continuing agreements reached earlier this month in negotiations in Istanbul. In addition to the exchange of POWs, Russia also repatriated the remains of 1,200 Ukrainian troops who died during the conflict.
Ukraine authorities confirmed earlier on Saturday that they had received the remains of the dead soldiers, thanking them for their return. But Russian state media reports suggested that Moscow did not even receive the remains of any of its own dead in the exchange. This was consistent with a Friday statement by the Russian defence ministry, which said it had handed over the bodies of 1,200 Ukrainian soldiers to Kyiv, but still had not received any of its own dead soldiers in return.
Information on the number of POWs that were exchanged has not been provided by Russian authorities. Nonetheless, video released by the Russian defence ministry indicated that groups of Russian troops were waving national flags and celebrating as they boarded buses in Belarus, where they are already undergoing medical treatment before being sent back to Russia.
The swap is viewed as a rare gesture of cooperation in the midst of a prolonged and acrid war, now more than two years old. Other prisoner exchanges have also taken place sporadically during the war, usually with the intervention of third countries or international organizations.
In spite of the humanitarian concession, unbalanced repatriation of war dead could further strain ties between the two countries, with Russia already commenting on the lack of its own troops’ remains in the new deal.
The Istanbul talks had centered on humanitarian issues, such as how POWs and slain soldiers were to be treated and repatriated. The two countries have sounded cautiously optimistic about extending similar exchanges under international supervision.
